Exposed
by Raven Heartz
Summary: Felicity Gregory has a secret: she's the little sister of Tony Stark, a man with no idea she even exists-until he looks through his father's possessions and finds her birth certificate. Now wanted by HYDRA, Felicity has no choice but to trust the man who hates her for her existence-and maybe, just maybe, she can put trust in the soldier determined to protect her.
1. One

_**Here we go again, this time without the kids of the Avengers! No, it's probably going to be a lot more complicated than that :) I present: Exposed!**_

One

"I'm coming!" I yell, making my way towards the door and trying not to trip over the piles of papers and boxes.

My apartment is far from clean: I have boxes full of papers and blueprints lying around, even more piles of papers lying around, and a cramped living space made smaller by my mess. Very fun.

I open my door to see a tall African-American man standing in my doorway. He has a long black coat on and an eye patch covering one of his eyes.

"Can I help you?" I ask, trying not to sound too irritated. I just woke up…

"Sorry to wake you, Miss Gregory," the man says calmly, his face unchanging. "I need you to come with me."

I shift uncomfortably. "I don't think you do, Director Fury." I say calmly.

Fury doesn't seem surprised. "You know why, don't you?"

I nod. "Tell him I said no."

"I'm afraid he's not taking no for an answer," Fury says, cocking his head to study me differently. "You two sure are a lot alike."

"I'm nothing like him!" I snap, furious. How dare he say I'm anything like that stupid, lying, cheating son of a-

"Felicity Marie Stark," Fury says, unaffected by my outburst. "Born March 4th, 1991. Graduated from high school and college early with full honors. Extremely talented, especially talented in technology."

"What do you want from me?" I ask wearily. If he's here spouting information about me, he'd better have a good reason.

"He found your birth certificate," Fury says. "I believe that's reason enough."

I glare at him right in the eyes. "You tell Tony Stark he'll never find me," I say coldly. "If you'll excuse me, I have work to do, and I'm sure you do as well." Fury raises an eyebrow knowingly, but I ignore him. "Leave me alone."

I slam the door in his face.

…

I run a brush through my dark brown hair before rushing to grab my coat, tugging it on and glancing down to make sure my Converse are tied. I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror in my rush, but it doesn't stop me any. I know exactly what I'll find: warm brown eyes, tan skin, and the beginnings of circles under my eyes, caused by my newest project. I think it's some kind of toaster, but I honestly I have no idea.

I take a deep breath of the slightly cold air. It's still September, but it'll be October next week.

Hopefully I'll be gone by then.

I set myself before making my way down the street, not really sure where I'm going, but having a small suspicion it'll be near Avenger's Tower. It always is; it's pretty annoying.

I sigh as I maneuver through the people. I hate knowing who I am. My foster mother told me a long time ago, but warned me to keep my fake name: Gregory. Then as I grew up I saw what my biological brother was doing; sleeping around, ignoring his company, doing whatever the hell he wanted. He didn't care about anyone but himself, and it made me sick.

Not that I can say much.

I feel eyes on me, and I recognize it as the car that's been behind me since I left my apartment. I feel my brow furrow, but I bite my lip and keep going. Maybe I'm just making it all up.

Suddenly I hear tires screech to a stop, and I whirl around to see two guys jumping out of a car and heading towards me.

I turn and bolt, shoving people out of my way and I run as fast as I can, trying my hardest to get away. I can sense them getting closer, but I force myself to keep going.

Someone grabs a hold of my arm, and I struggle, desperate to break free, but they drag me back to the car, one guy's hand over my mouth. I bite down, _hard_, and he yells, letting go to punch me in the face. He grabs something from his pocket and holds it over my mouth, and I sickening sweet smell overwhelms my senses, making me lose consciousness, Avenger's Tower the last thing I see.

…

I open my eyes slowly, blinking against the bright light and trying to gain some idea of what just happened.

Right. Kidnapped.

I force myself to sit up, noticing that they took my coat, phone and wallet, leaving me completely free of anything except earrings.

Not that they could do any damage anyway…

The door opens, jarring me from my thoughts, and I jerk my head up to see a tall, built man heading towards my cage. He has black hair, grey eyes, and olive skin. Very rare, meaning I could recognize him anywhere.

"Time to go," he says in a deep voice that sends fearful chills down my spine.

I glare up at him. "Go where?"

"None of your business, Miss Stark." The man opens the door and holds it, waiting for me to get out.

I don't move. "Where am I?" I demand.

"Shut your mouth and come," the man snaps.

"No," I snap back. He can't tell me what to do.

The man snaps his fingers, and more masked people some in, dragging me out of my cage. The throw me on the floor and start hitting me, kicking me, lashing me with belts, breaking my nose-and all I can do is grind my teeth, trying not to yell, unable to stop tears of pain from flowing, but I'll be damned if they hear me beg for them to stop.

One guy hits too close to my eye, and black fills my vision again, except this time my body is nothing but pain and blood and thoughts of joining my parents on the other side.

"Get in touch with SHIELD," the man says.

And then everything's gone.


	2. Two

Two

They lift a bag off of my face, and I blink, adjusting to the bright light. I look above me to see one of the masked men resting a hand on my shoulder. I move to shove it off, but I can't move, and I glance down to see my wrists tied to a cold metal chair.

Ok then. Plan B.

I glare defiantly at the camera knowing exactly what they want: a crying, desperate little girl. Screw the blood, bruises and cuts on my face: I don't break.

"If you want to see your sister again, you'll hand over one of the suits." The man above me says in a deep voice. I crane my head to glare at him, but he ignores me.

"You realize he hates me, right?" I ask calmly. "He doesn't even know I exist."

In a flash he whirls, slapping me so hard I see blood splatter on the floor. I look up to glare, but the damage is done: I'm bleeding again, this time in front of my brother.

"Three weeks, Stark," The man says, addressing the camera. While he speaks they surround me and start lashing me with the belt, punishing me for my defiance. I can't help but whimper as they re-open old cuts, making blood trickle down my back.

Then once clips my face, and I black out, remembering that the camera was still rolling.

…

I sigh, leaning my head against the wall. It's been about three weeks since they sent the video. I know he saw it, and as much as it kills me to say this, I was right. He hates me. I'm a product of his father.

Suddenly alarms ring out everywhere, and I jump, wincing as it stretches the newest lashes on my back.

"Get Stark!" I hear someone yell. "I'll handle the girl." The door slams open, and I edge away from the cage door and he yanks it open. He grabs my arm roughly and drags me out, leaving me to stumble behind him.

I yank my arm free, and the second he whirls to yell at me I swing, nailing him right in the nose. He yells, grabbing his rapidly bleeding nose, and I go into a fighting stance, glaring at him coldly. I've never been so glad I took boxing classes.

He lunges for me, and I dodge, swinging a hard uppercut into his gut. He grunts, losing air, and I knee him in the face, making him stumble back, almost on the floor. I aim a roundhouse kick to his temple, and he's out, lying unconscious in front of me. I take a breath, and someone touches my arm gently.

Still high on adrenaline, I whirl, my hand in a fist, and they grab my fist, forcing it down, and I freeze at the sight of gorgeous blue eyes. I snap out of it, but my split second was too much. He catches both arms, gently holding me still and keeping me from hitting him.

"Relax, ma'am," he says, his voice catching me off guard. "I'm here to help."

"Who are you?" I ask, not 100% steady. This is a problem; I need to be focused.

"Captain America," he says, meeting my eyes sincerely. "I'm with SHIELD."

Damn it, I should've known. I may not have a life, but at the very least…

"Ok," I say, swallowing. "Lead the way."

He smiles and he lets me go, taking my hand and leading me from the compound.

…

I sit nervously, biting my lip as I wait for them to come back. Captain America led me straight to the doctors, leaving right after to change out of uniform. I sigh, sagging and running a hand through my hair. I know what they're going to do: send Fury and my brother in. The one thing I'd tried to avoid.

The doors open, and Nick Fury enters with Captain and- quell surprise- Tony Stark following behind.

"You know, this probably wouldn't have happened if you'd gone with me," Fury says, looking at me blandly.

I shrug, smirking. "Where's the fun in that?"

Fury sighs. "What happened to you, Felicity?"

I bite my lip, breaking eye contact.

"So you're Felicity," Tony says smoothly, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.

I glance at him warily. "And you're Anthony," I say blandly.

A muscle in his jaw ticks, but he doesn't react anyway else. "Tony. How old are you?" He asks, trying to be polite.

I lean back, folding my hands over my stomach, partly to annoy him and partly to keep my stomach from growling. "You tell me."

He huffs, frustrated. "Can we just talk?"

I sigh and sit up. "Alright. What do you want to know?"

"Are you the reason Mom's dead?" he asks.

I flinch. "Next," I force out.

Tony's eyes narrow. "Are you?" He repeats.

I squeeze my eyes shut. "Not now," I whisper shakily, forcing my emotions back. I hate emotions; they're such a liability. Geez.

Thankfully Tony drops it. "How old are you?" He asks, as if he hasn't read my birth certificate.

I sigh. "23,"

"Same as Cap," Tony says brightly, although I know it's a little forced. I glance over at Cap, but he just meets my gaze with concern.

Focus.

"And how old are you?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"41, so you gotta do as I say," Tony says, puffing up his chest to try and make him look cool.

I fight back both a laugh and a smile. No emotion. "All right, old man," I smirk.

He narrows his eyes at me, but there's no real heat to it. Yet. "Yeah, make fun of me. See if I care."

My lips twitch against my will, and Tony visibly relaxes.

"Where'd you learn to fight?" Captain asks.

I glance at him. "I take boxing lessons as often as I can."

"You box?" Tony asks, surprised. I look at him and nod, and he smiles. "So do I. Maybe we can spar sometime," Tony says, smirking at me in a way that screams I'm-so-gonna-win.

I smirk back in the exact same way, and I notice Tony's expression falter. "Maybe," I muse. I turn to Captain and offer a hand. "I didn't really introduce myself. I'm Felicity."

He smiles, shaking my hand. "Steve Rogers. Nice to meet you,"

I smile. "Nice to meet you,"

Fury comes back in, and I blink. I didn't even notice he'd left. I need to step up my game. "Felicity, told you, I assume?" Fury asks, raising his eyebrows at Tony.

Tony frowns, glancing at me. "No, she didn't,"

"Wait-" I start, but Fury doesn't let me speak.

"Felicity's the reason your mother's dead," Fury says, looking surprised. "She died giving birth. Didn't she tell you?"

_**It's a bit early for a bomb like this, but don't worry, this is only the beginning ^.^ Please review! Love you all! ~Raven**_


	3. Three

_**Holy cow, this thing has exploded. Literally, I sent it in, and my email was exploding every five seconds. It was awesome :) Thanks for your support and reviews! Here's chapter three! By the way, does anyone know how to spell helicarrier? I have no idea… ~Raven**_

Three

I gasp, running as fast as I can, taking pride in the burning muscles of my thighs and letting the pain from both my legs and the wounds all over my body drive me to keep moving.

"Stark!" I hear someone yell from behind me.

I ignore them and push forward. There's gotta be a door somewhere around here, and I intend to find it and get the heck out of here.

After Nick dropped the bomb, I bolted, not waiting for anyone's reaction. I ran straight into the cell. There I met JARVIS, and I asked him to lock everyone out, no matter who they were.

I think he only agreed because I'm a Stark.

After that we went to SHIELD headquarters, and they led me towards the interrogation room. I broke free from one of the agent's grip, and I ran for it, which leads to me still trying to find the door, running for my life.

I hear footsteps behind me, and I try my best to quicken my pace, which is easier said than done considering I was injured.

"Sorry, ma'am," a deep voice says from behind me. Suddenly I'm scooped up into rock-solid arms, bridal-style, and I struggle. I look up in irritation to see Steve carrying me back to the interrogation room.

"Let me go!" I snap, trying to climb out without seriously hurting him. He _is_ the one who got me out of that prison…

"Sorry, but I can't do that," he says calmly, readjusting his grip so I can't hit him and limiting my movements in the process.

"Steve!" I whine, still squirming. "Please?"

I can see him debating, but he shakes his head. "I can't. I'm sorry."

I cross my arms and glare at our feet. I feel so tiny in his arms, and it makes me so mad. Not only did he catch me and is literally carrying me back where I came from, but it's reminding me how tiny I am, especially compared to him. It's humiliating.

"If it helps, I would have done the same thing," Steve says quietly.

I blink, looking up at him in surprise. "What?"

Before he can answer the door in front of us opens, and I Fury glares down at me.

"Did you really think you would get far?" Fury asks, annoyed.

I shrug the best I can. "Hadn't gotten that far," I admit blandly.

Steve carefully sets me down, careful of my back. "Are you hurt?" He asks, ignoring Fury's irritation.

I nod. "Yeah, I'm fine." I just re-opened the nor-really healed cuts, but that's fine.

Steve removes his hand from my back, and his eyes narrow when he sees his palm covered in my blood. "Felicity…?" Steve trails off, sounding concerned.

Oh, here's the blood loss. I sway a little, light headed, and Steve quickly catches my arm.

"I'm fine," I manage weakly.

Then it all goes dark.

…

The first thing I notice is the beeping. I recognize the beeping of the heart monitor, and I instantly panic, making the beeping faster.

I jerk up, gasping, and a warm, strong hand catches me.

"It's ok," Steve soothes, meeting my eyes. I take deep breaths, trying to calm myself down, and Steve smiles gently. "You're safe now, I promise."

I slowly start to calm down, and I look around to see Tony and Fury standing in the doorway. I instantly look down at my lap, unable to face either of them. I'm terrified of a ticked off Fury, but I still can't face Tony.

"How are you feeling?" Fury asks calmly.

I shrug. "Fine, I guess,"

"Is this a real fine, or are you lying again?" Tony asks coldly.

I flinch. "I'm really fine this time," I say quietly. "What did you guys do to my back?"

"We had to give you stitches," Fury says calmly, pure business. "We'll take you to Avenger's Tower, and we'll make sure someone brings your belongings-"

"Hold up," I say, holding my hand up. "What are you talking about?"

Fury looks at me a little weirdly. "You're moving in to Avenger's Tower."

I shake my head. "Not gonna happen."

"I'm not asking your permission," Fury says coldly.

"Why would I want to move in with a bunch of superheroes-no offense," I say, wincing and glancing at Steve.

He shrugs. "None taken,"

"Because you're life is in danger," Fury snaps.

"And I'm sure it'll be even worse when I get there," I argue. "You can't guarantee my safety, Fury."

"Let me rephrase this in terms you can understand," Fury says, straightening. "You were captured by a new enemy of SHIELD, people calling themselves the Lux."

"Light," I say to myself, automatically translating.

Fury ignores me. "You know the media will find you, Felicity. There's no avoiding that."

"I'll survive," I say dryly. "And do you think it matters? I already know you guys don't want anything to do with me, if only because I'm a Stark."

"And your brother?" Fury asks.

I swallow and glance at Tony, trying my best to mask my emotions. "I already know Tony wants nothing to do with me. I'm not going to kid myself."

"She's right," Tony says coldly. "It's bad enough there's one Stark running around, not to mention the fact that she's the reason my mother's dead."

"Your mother died in childbirth," Fury says coldly. "That has nothing to do with her,"

"Sure it does," I say quietly. "If I was never born, Maria would still be alive."

"But Howard wouldn't," Fury says forcefully. "He was killed on his way to the hospital, killed by HYDRA. That was outside your control."

"And he wouldn't have been out if I'd never been conceived." I counter. "You can try to defend me all you want, Fury, but the facts are the same. If I'd never existed, Howard and Maria Stark would still be alive."

_**We're all on the same page, right? We all know Felicity's logic is bullcrap, etc? Hopefully everyone else sees it, but I'd rather not confuse anyone more than I intended. Anyway, review and let me know what you think!**_


	4. Four

Four

I lie on my bed, completely focused on the sketch pad in front of me. I'm lying on my stomach, propped up on my elbows and carefully adding shadows with my pencil. Placed above my sketch book is a picture of Howard and Maria Stark, one of the special pictures used for portraits and other official things.

I tap my bare feet against the headboard, relaxing in a tank top and exercise shorts. I hate not being able to jog or work out, but if it keeps my stitches from opening, I guess it'll be fine. I sigh wearily, comparing my picture to the one I copied. It's not the best, but it'll do. Before I can do anything I hear the doorbell, and I hoist myself up by doing a perfect push-up. I maneuver my way through the maze, and I open my door to see my best friend.

"Jay," I say, surprised. He rarely comes over. Unless-

I gasp when I see his face. His face is covered in bruises, one eye black and his lip split. I gently grab his arm and usher him inside, sitting him down and checking his arms for more bruises.

"Felicity, it's ok," he whimpers, trying to smile but falling short. I pull him into a hug, letting him sob on my shoulder, and I just hold him, rubbing his back soothingly. Jay has feathery black hair and dark blue eyes. He's pretty attractive when he isn't covered in bruises, but it's never been like that. Jay was my only friend growing up, and I was his. We both knew what it was like to be unloved and unwanted, and we sort of bonded.

"Jay, you need to stop letting him come over," I whisper, kissing his head. "He just hurts you,"

Jay whimpers. "He might accept me," Jay says, clinging to hope. "Maybe next time-"

"What did he say to you?" I ask gently.

Jay cowers. "The usual."

I shiver as my mind recalls my first encounter with Jay's father.

"_You stupid faggot!" His father screams, shoving Jay straight into a cabinet full of glass, making it rain all over him. "You worthless little gay! Is this how you repay me? I kept your ass!"_

_Jay curled up, shivering. "Dad, please," he pleads, sobbing as he begs his father for mercy. "I'm not gay, Daddy. I promise."_

"_Bullshit!" His father roars. "I saw you with that boy!"_

_That boy had happened to be injured, so Jay put his arm around him and helped him into the clinic. His father hadn't cared, and now whenever he's drunk-which happens to be all the time- and screamed at him, hurting him physically and mentally._

"_Daddy, please!" Jay begs, shaking as his father tugged off his belt. "Please!"_

"_Leave him alone!" I snap, jumping in front of Jay as his father whips. The belt clips me in the temple, stinging and hurting really bad, but I ignore it, facing Jay's father._

I snap out of my thoughts when I feel timid but shaking hands brushing my back. "Stitches," he says, his voice almost like a little kid's.

I nod. "Yeah, I got hurt. I'm ok now, I promise."

Jay doesn't look happy, but he nods. I hear the doorbell ring, and I gently pry him off of me, rising to answer the door. Jay grabs a pillow and hugs it, bringing his knees to his chest and staring at nothing.

I open the door to my apartment to see Steve Rogers standing in the doorway.

"Steve," I say, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Steve shrugs, blushing slightly. "Well, I knew today was the day Howard and Maria…you know…and I was wondering if you'd like some company?" He rushes out.

I blink before smiling, my cheeks feeling a little pink. "I'd like that."

Jay suddenly appears next to me, staring at Steve. "Is he your boyfriend?" Jay asks randomly, still staring.

I wince for a second before wrapping an arm around him and gently pushing him towards the living room. "Wait in here, ok?" When I turn back, I see Steve blushing furiously, watching Jay with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Sorry," I apologize, blushing just as furiously as he is. "He doesn't know any better,"

Steve snaps back from his thoughts, looking at me curiously. "What do you mean?"

I wince. "He just wasn't taught to watch what he says," I say vaguely. "Would you like to come in?" I ask before he can ask me anything else.

He blinks, but he lets to topic go, smiling at me instead. "I'd like that," He says, entering once I step inside. His arm brushes mine, and I feel my skin burn. "Thank you,"

"You're welcome," I stammer, gently shutting the door.

The moments I enter the living room, Jay sets those eyes on me and asks, "How'd you get hurt, Felicity?"

I tense. "I just had an accident," I force out. "Nothing to worry about, ok?"

Jay frowns. "Ok," he says slowly. "Thanks for helping with…" He gestures to himself, and I nod, smiling a little.

"Anytime. Let me know if he comes again, ok?" I say, giving him a look.

He sticks his tongue out. "I'll be fine. Daddy will accept me, and everything will be ok."

I force a smile, knowing the truth. "Ok. See you,"

Once Jay's gone, I take a shaky deep breath, and Steve rests his arm on my shoulder.

I smile. "I'm going to go change in the bathroom. Help yourself to anything," I smile at him.

He smiles back. "No problem."

…

A few minutes later I'm clean, dressed and ready to go. I step from the bathroom into my room to grab my pictures and go still when I see what's going on.

Steve holds my sketchbook in one hand, the other holding the picture of my parents that I used to draw it.

"What are you doing?" I as shakily. I don't trust many people as a general rule, but I get really nervous when people look at my drawings. They're awful.

Steve turns to look at me with awe. "It's amazing. You drew it perfectly."

I blink. "What?" I stutter.

Steve smiles and walks over to me. "Look at it like this," he whispers gently, coming up behind me so my back's against his chest. His strong arms reach around me, showing me the pictures side by side.

I bite my lip with burning cheeks, trying my best to focus. This is insane; I never act like this. I take a look at the pictures.

"Still could've been better," I decide, nodding once and crossing my arms stubbornly.

Steve sighs wearily, sitting the bed and shaking his head. "You're insane."

I smile brightly. "I know,"

Steve raises his eyebrows at me, but he drops it. "Ready to go?" He asks, rising and looking at me gently. I mentally pat myself on the back at my choice. Leggings, a long red sweater, and combat boots.

I gently take the sketchbook and rip out the picture of my parents. "Ready,"

…

I kneel by the graves and set the picture down, looking at my parent's grave with sadness. I consider today the day they died. It's hard having a birthday and my parent's deaths on the same day.

_Would you have wanted me? _I wonder to myself.

A warm hand rests on my shoulder, and I smile up at Steve gently. "Thanks," I whisper.

He smiles back. "Ready to go back, or do you want to go rest some more?"

"I hate resting," I grumble moodily. "But I do have to, so I guess I'll head home…"

Suddenly my phone buzzes, and I see Jay's name appear on the screen.

"Jay?" I ask worriedly. "Are you ok?"

"Fine," He answers calmly. Steve comes closer, and I turn it to the side so both of us can hear, although Steve does have to duck a little. "But your house isn't,"

"Jay," I warn.

"Someone set your apartment on fire," Jay says reluctantly. "I don't know how, but it's only yours."

I go still, and Jay hangs up on me.

"Felicity?" Steve asks worriedly.

I take a deep breath, snapping out of it. "I have nowhere to go now."

"I don't think so," Steve says, grinning. "Tony still has a room open."

Oh, dang it.


	5. Five

_**OH MY GOSH, THIS STORY DRIVES ME NUTS. This has got to be one of the hardest stories I've written. It's taking me forever to think of new ideas. I think I'm getting into it now, but man… shout out to Wookie3, because none of this would exist without her and her awesomeness ^.^ Here we go, getting it rollin'!**_

Five

I bite my lip as I stand in the elevator, nervously staring at my feet. At first, I'd said no, but then Steve oh-so-calmly pointed out how I had no where else to go, and… he had the puppy dog eyes. I could not resist the puppy dog eyes.

So now I'm here, standing in the elevator, waiting to go see the one person I didn't want to see ever again, internally yelling at myself for even looking at Steve as he asked me to give Tony a chance.

"It'll be ok, Felicity," Steve say gently, trying to reassure me. "Tony will see who you really are, and everything will work out."

I give him a sidelong glance. "How are you so sure?"

He smiles at me. "Because I've seen you. He'll understand."

I seriously doubt it, but whatever. The elevator doors open, and I flinch violently, refusing to look up and drawing Steve's attention as the Avengers all turn to look.

"Steve?" Natasha asks curiously, "What's wrong? Is that Felicity?"

I wincing, I peek up to see Natahsa watching me worriedly. "Hey…" I offer weakly.

"Is everything alright?" She asks, concerned.

"Since when did you get concerned about people?" Clint asks, sending her a weird look.

"Any Tony haters are a friend of mine," She says dryly. "Felicity, what's wrong?"

Another elevator door opens across the room, and Tony Stark steps out and approaches us with determination in his steps, though I have no idea if that's good or bad.

"JARVIS told me something interesting today," Tony starts, stopping next to Natasha and crossing his arms. "Something about your apartment burning down?"

Natasha inhales a little bit, shocked. "No one knows you're a Stark, right? Besides the Lux?"

I bite my lip. "I don't think so. My foster mother burned my real birth certificates, so unless someone else had a copy…"

Tony frowns. "Your foster mother?" Tony asks, confused.

I glance at him, arefully blank. "Where'd you think I went?" I turn back to Natasha. "We weren't anywhere near the apartment at the time, but all of my stuff's kinda gone."

Natasha nods, determined . "I'll let you borrow mine, and tomorrow we'll buy you some clothes with Stark's money."

"Excuse you," Tony says, narrowing his eyes at her. Natasha sends him a dark look, and he quickly backtracks. "Nevermind, go right ahead. I didn't say anything at all. Yep. Nothing at all."

I roll my eyes before looking at Tony a little fearfully. "Do you want me to leave?" I ask tentatively.

Tony's silent for a good two minutes before sighing. "I can't just kick you out," Tony says wearily.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. "Thanks…um… Mr. Stark?" I say awkwardly, making it sound more like a question.

"Just call me Tony," he says, waving it off as if it doesn't matter. Which kind of hurts, but I can't say I blame him. "Come on, I'll show you where you sleep," He says nonchalantly, turning and heading straight for the other elevator without looking back. I quickly speed walk after him, trying to keep up, and I notice with a little relief that he's turned and waiting patiently-if not a little carelessly-for me to come in. I dart inside, moving away and giving him space, because _I don't want to be alone with him, dammit_, and I look up to see Steve watching with a gentle look on his fae. He offers a small smile, and I relax, smiling slightly against my will.

_Stop it,_ I scold myself. _He's you brother's friend. Remember? The guy next to you that hates your guts?_

Tony clears his throat once the doors shut. "You said you box, right?"

I jump a little, surprised he actually spoke to me. "Um, yeah," I stammer, a little off guard and scared he's gonna scream at me. "I love boxing."

Tony nods thoughtfully, stroking his goatee. "What else do you do?" He asks.

I sense the elevator slowing down, and I glance around suspiciously. "Is the elevator slowing down?" I ask.

Tony ignores me. "What else do you like to do?" He asks again, looking at me unflinchingly.

I shift, uncomfortable with the attention. "I like to draw and write. I'm big into coding and hacking, but I try not to hack into anything…" I trail off, shrugging. "Whatever I can find technology or art wise."

Tony hums, thinking. "We have a huge gym for you to work out in, if you're interested," Tony starts. "I have a lab downstairs, but I'm usually working in there."

I nod. Figures he'd hole himself in there for all eternity.

Tony reads me perfectly. "I'm not hiding from you," He says calmly, making me flush in embarassment. "I'm always working down there."

I nod, not looking at him. "Yeah," I say quietly. Please let us get to the floor soon.

"So what's this about a foster family?" Tony asks quietly.

I flinch a little. "Nobody anted me, so I was sent away," I say quietly, praying the elevator stops soon so I can run and hide in a bedroom. Well, a bedroom's closet. "I've been told why my entire life,"

Tony hasn't stopped staring at me the entire time I've spoken, and he surprisingly isn't looking at me like I'm the freak I've been raised to be. "What did they say?" he asks quietly.

I feel the tears prick my eyes, and I desperately fight them back. "They…" I try, cursing my voice as it crackcs a little. "They," I try again, but JARVIS saves me, stopping the elevator and opening the door.

"Gotta go!" I blurt, darting outside and running for a bedroom. I shut the door and crawl under the covers, burying myself, and I hear Tony knocking on the door, calling my name worriedly, but I just bury deeper in the covers, squeezzing my eyes shut and praying it all just _stops_, because there's only so much I take take before I break.

And I'm already breaking, shattering, watching pieces of myself slip away, because nothing can save me now, and nothing ever will.

I'm alone, from birth to eternity, and nothing can stop it.

_**Huh, I got a little poetic there…that doesn't happen too often. Cool :) Hope you guys enjoyed! Please review! And don't forget, if there's something you want to see, PM me or put it in a comment!**_


	6. Six

_**Hey, guys. Apparently that last chapter wasn't the best, so I'm really sorry for that, and apparently it was on a TV show. I don't watch TV much, so I had no idea, so sorry for that too. Sorry if it stinks, I'm actually sick, so hopefully this is still decent :3 Enjoy! Review and such!**_

Six

I peel my eyes open and instantly stretch, feeling my muscles pull and relieve some stiffness. I feel the slight tug from my stitches, and I wince, praying they aren't opening or anything.

"Good morning, Miss Stark," JARVIS says a little cheerfully. "Did you sleep well?"

"Uh, yeah," I say sleepily, yawning. "And call me Felicity, please."

"Yes, Miss Felicity," JARVIS answers. I don't bother to correct him. "Would you like me to alert Sir that you're awake?"

Um, no. "No thanks, JARVIS," I say quickly. "Is anyone else awake?"

"Everyone is awake, Miss," JARVIS says calmly. "Are you sure you don't want me to alert Sir you've awoken? Sir is only repairing MK-49." _**(It's 49, right? I don't have a clue. I haven't watched the movies in a while.)**_

"No thanks," I say calmly. "I'll just get ready and go downstairs,"

"Yes, Miss," JARVIS says, sounding a little dejected.

I quickly take a shower, tug on one of Natasha's pairs on skinny jeans and a black shirt (The shirt's a little big, but somehow the pants fit perfectly. I sense a little shopping was done. Hmmm…), and tug my long, annoying hair in a messy bun. I glance at myself one last time before tugging on my converse and heading towards the elevator, trusting JARVIS to take me towards food.

He does, and the second the elevator doors open I smell bacon. I instantly perk up, because hello, bacon, and I notice everyone, sans Tony, turning towards me.

"Um, hi?" I offer nervously, because everyone in the room can _kill me_.

Steve smiles gently. "Hey. Do you want some food?"

I smile, ignoring Natasha and Clint's exchanged look. "Sure," I say, heading towards he others. I notice a new guy, and I pause and offer a nervous smile. "Hi," I say timidly, offering a hand. _New people, new people, someone help me._ "I'm-"

"Tony's sister," the man says, offering a hand. "Bruce Banner."

I shake his hand. "Felicity,"

Bruce nods, going back to his puzzle. I notice Steve watching Bruce with the same expression he watched Jay with yesterday, but I still don't know what it is. I just shake off my discomfort and go to Steve, who snaps out of his thoughts and hands me a decent amount of eggs and bacon.

"Bruce," Natasha warns. Bruce looks up and raises an eyebrow, and she glares back. "She's nothing like him, you know."

Bruce sighs. "I'm sorry," He says, looking at me as I cautiously sit next to Natasha. "I'm used to Stark's being…well…"

"Like Tony?" I offer, squeezing ketchup on my plate.

"Gross," Clint says, making a face.

I glare at him. "Problem?"

"Uh, nope," Clint says, backing away and telling me Natasha's sending him a glare of her own. "Proceed."

I roll my eyes. "Yes, Tony's an idiot," I say, looking at Bruce. "I'm nothing like him. I think."

"She isn't," Steve confirms, nodding firmly. I send him a grateful look, and he smiles.

Oh my gosh, Felicity stop. Like right now. He doesn't like you like that. I quickly break away, face burning, and I start digging in my food. I blink.

"This is really good," I say after I swallow.

Steve smiles. "Thanks,"

No wonder they taste good- he's freaking Captain America. He's good at everything. I quickly finish eating and take my bowl to the sink, taking Steve's empty plate with me and brightening at the smile he sends my way.

"Steve, can I talk to you for a second?" Natasha asks, standing. Steve looks confused, but he stands up anyway and follows her somewhere (I focus on washing the plates instead, because I _really_ need to stop).

After I get the dishes done, I wipe my hands on the towel and head towards the elevator farthest away (It's a thing I do).

"Uh, Stark, I don't think-" Clint starts, but I ignore him, heading towards the elevator anyway. Before I can reach the actual elevator I stop, hearing voices in the hallway next to it.

"-her," Natasha was snapping. "If you like her, ask her out."

I gasped a little, covering my mouth to keep me silent. Does Steve have a crush on someone? Oh, gosh, I'm an idiot, he does, and I'm just drooling over him and looking _so damn obvious_-

"It's not that simple," Steve says, exasperated. "She doesn't even like me like that! And she' so beautiful, and smart, and talented-"

_So_ not talking about me.

"You don't know that!" Natasha snaps. "Just suck it up and ask her on a date already!"

I can't do this. I quickly dart out, frantically tapping the button for the doors to open, because I will _not_ cry, I _refuse_ to cry like a stupid five year old because I've acted like an idiot-

"Felicity?" Nat asks. I turn my head to see Natasha and Steve watching me worriedly. "Are you ok?"

I swallow and turn away, unable to face them right now. "Yeah, I'm fine," I say, cursing the slight waver I heard at the end.

I notice Natasha and Steve exchange a look. "Felicity-" Steve starts.

The door opens, and I dart inside, smacking the button to shut the door and fighting the urge to do a happy dance when I realize it's closing fast.

Then I see the buttons.

"Uh…" I trail off, seeing the buttons. I have no idea where I was going to go.

The door opens again, and Steve steps in, shutting the door and looking a little determined.

"Steve?" I ask, surprised. "What are you-?"

"Are you ok?" He asks, looking straight in my eyes.

I blink. "Uh-what?" I ask, confused. Is that what he came in here to ask me? That doesn't sound right at all…

Steve doesn't back down. "Are you alright?" Steve asks again, letting some of the worry show. "You looked really upset…"

Oh. "Yeah, I'm fine," I say, forcing at smile.

He crosses his arms and keeps looking at me. I shift a little, uncomfortable with his unwavering gaze, and I finally sigh. "Ok, I was just a little shaken up," I say vaguely. "I'll be fine, I promise."

Steve doesn't say anything for a while, and when I glance up nervously he sighs. "Is there anything I can do to help?" He asks, looking at me a little desperately. Huh, this is getting weirder and weirder…

I shouldn't. I really shouldn't. But…

I look at him a little hopefully. "Can you show me around?"

Steve softens. "Of course," he says gently, reaching over and pressing a button, and we start heading towards the top of the building.

And I blink as I realize something very, very bad.

_I can't pretend to ignore my feelings anymore._

My phone rings, and I glance down to see a number that makes me pale.

"Felicity?" Steve asks nervously, resting a soothing hand on my shoulder. "What's wrong?"

I snap out of it and answer the phone. "Hello?" I ask hoarsely. Steve leans closer to the phone, looking at me worriedly, and I turn it so he can hear too.

"Felicity, this is all your fault!" My old foster mother yells, making me flinch. "How dare you be so selfish as to tell people who you are? You worthless, disgusting-"

"What's going on?" I ask, shoving down the hurt. No emotions, Felicity.

"Some people are here looking for you!" She snaps. "Some reporters waiting for information on Tony Stark's illegitimate sister!"

_**Boom! It's coming, guys! Sorta. Whatever. Anyway, hope you liked it!**_


	7. Seven

_**Small changes going back peoples! Chapter three- I fixed the fragment that I'd forgotten to fix. It'll probably take two seconds, it's just says she's tiny, but I figured I'd say something. Oh yeah! That chapter was updated 10/2, so if you actually care then there's the date. Enjoy loves! ~Raven**_

Seven

I stare at Steve's motorcycle. "Not that I have anything against motorcycles…" I trail off, eying it warily. I have never been on a motorcycle before. I feel like I'll fall off and _whoops!_ There goes your face! Sorry!

Steve looks at me gently. "It's safe, Felicity. I promise."

Well… "Ok," I sigh, trying not to grin at how he perks up like a puppy. He climbs on, and I sit hesitantly behind him, aware that there's practically no space between us. At all. I nervously grab the seat underneath me, and Steve glances at me over his shoulder before reaching back, prying my hands off the seat (and we won't go into how easy it was for him to get me off, thank you) and wrapping them around his waist.

"Hold on tight," He whispers gently, looking into my eyes. We stay that way for a while, hands still touching in a way that's surprisingly intimate, never breaking eye contact. Steve breaks away first, turning with ears starting to turn pink in a way that's extremely adorable, and suddenly he guns the engine, making me jump and cling to him for dear life. Forget worrying about blushing like an idiot; now I get to worry about clinging to him like a teddy bear.

Steve turns to grin a little cheekily at me, and I make a face before he whirls and takes off, making me cling to him yet again. I force myself to lift my head and peek over his broad shoulder, and I gasp a little, because yeah, it's busy, but there are so many different buildings, and since I usually hole myself up in my apartment in hopes of hiding the truth, it's amazing to see.

"Where to?" Steve says, turning his head enough for me to speak directly into his ear.

I carefully direct him, and ten minutes later we're there.

Steve cuts the engine and looks back at me. "You okay?"

Besides trembling at the thought of being back? "Yeah, I'm fine," I say, forcing a smile.

Steve gets up and gives me a knowing look. "I could feel you shaking," Steve says blandly.

I wince a little. "Well…"

Steve gives a little sigh before giving into a smile and offering a hand. I smile back and accept the hand, fighting the blush and trying to maneuver off the bike, almost tripping as my foot somehow catches the seat. This bike, I swear…

"Ty!" A little girl yells.

Steve frowns, confused. "Tea?"

"Ty!" The girl calls again, running up to me and slamming into my legs, grinning up at me with big blue eyes.

"Ty," Steve confirms, nodding once. "I like it. It suits you."

I smile down at the little red-head clinging to my legs. "Hey, Ally. What's up?"

"Ty, you're back," She says happily.

I notice a bruise on her temple, and I frown, touching it gently. "Ally?" I ask.

Ally whimpers. "She hit me. But I'm ok," she says quickly, as if trying to cool my temper. "I deserved it."

"No one deserves to be hit," I say strongly. "What happened?"

Ally cringes. "I-"

"Allison!" A woman snaps. I look up to see Miss Gregory marching toward me on a warpath, her glower never stopping. I move Ally behind me, and in a flash Miss Gregory's hand connects to my face, making a loud slap and jerking my head around. I hold a hand to where she hit me and look at her angrily, forcing back the tears that pricked my eyes at the pain.

"How _dare_ you!" She screams, right in my face. I take a small step back, and I vaguely notice that Steve picked Ally up, trying to soothe her crying. "How _dare_ you put us in the spotlight like this? I _raised_ you, you stupid girl. Without me you'd have died on the streets, and this is how you repay me?" She whirls and turns the force of her glare on Ally. "And _you_ were told to keep your mouth shut."

"Hey," I protest. "She didn't-"

Miss Gregory whirls, slapping me again, and I fight back a whimper. She managed to hit the exact same spot. "Shut up!" She snaps. "You caused this. You have no room to talk."

She's right, I don't. I glare, but I don't say a word. If I speak, she'll hurt Ally, and I can't hurt anyone else.

Steve doesn't share my thoughts. "You have no right to hit any of these people," Steve says coldly, getting mad.

Miss Gregory raises an eyebrow. "My house, my decision." She turns toward me. "Who did you tell?"

I swallow. "No one. I swear." I didn't.

"You must have told someone," Miss Gregory snaps. "I told you never to tell anyone about who you are. You're a threat and a menace. Tony Stark will only be burdened by you."

I swallow. "I know," I say quietly.

"Hang on," Steve protests, but Miss Gregory shoots him a look and he changes his tune. "Could we handle it? And Maybe borrow Ally?"

Miss Gregory waves her hand. "I don't care where she stays. As long as I get the checks, she could run the streets for all I care."

I tense at that, but I choose not to comment. Steve nods and pulls out a phone, calling Fury while I take Ally and search for more bruises.

Steve hangs up. "A car's on its way. Someone will drive the bike back to the Tower."

"Tower?" Ally asks, frowning.

I smile and kiss her hair. "Ever heard of Avengers Tower?"

…

"So what's your name again?" Tony asks, taking a drink of water from his glass. All around him Avengers are leaning on the bar, looking at the five-year-old with a mix of suspicion and curiosity. Pepper Pots, someone who's here to meet Felicity for the first time, watches her with a gentle smile.

Ally swings her legs, unable to reach the ground on the stool. "Ally," she says perkily. "Stevie, this place is _huge_." She says eagerly, beaming at her new friend.

Steve smiles. "Yeah, it is."

Tony looks at Steve curiously. "And why were you guys at the foster home?" Tony asks.

Steve winces, rubbing his neck. "Well-"

"Ty!" Ally calls, smiling.

Tony frowns. "Tea?"

Ally jumps off the stool and runs towards the hallway.

…

"Ty!" Ally yells, slamming into my legs. I smile and kiss her head, running a hand through her hair and leading her back towards the bar.

"Ty, sit next to me!" She says, looking at me anxiously.

I smile a little and sit next to her, and she frowns and touches the bruise on my cheek.

"She hurt you," Ally says sadly, her eyes filling with tears.

"Who?" Tony asks forcefully.

I ignore him. "She hurt you too, Ally," I say, brushing her temple. "Are you ok?"

Ally nods. "It stopped hurting a week ago."

"A _week_ ago?" Steve asks, surprised.

I nod. "She hits hard," I say offhandedly. I notice a woman with strawberry blonde hair next to Tony, and I smile and offer a hand. "Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Felicity."

The woman smiles, shaking my hand. "Pepper Pots. I'm Tony's girlfriend."

I nod, impressed. "I'm sure that was fun."

She laughs a little. "It's certainly interesting."

"Hey," Tony protests. He looks and me and swears, touching my cheek. Even though he barely touched me, my entire face felt it, and I jerk back, hissing in a breath. "Is it that bad?" Tony asks, looking at me.

I look away and shrug, playing with the hem of my shirt. "It's no big deal."

Tony gives me a look, and I ignore him, brushing a hand through Ally's hair. "Do you know who he is?" I ask her, nodding towards Tony.

She glances at him. "Yeah. Tony Stark, owner of Stark Industries and Iron Man." She says calmly, shrugging.

Tony's jaw drops, and I fight back a laugh. "Ally's a genius," I tell him calmly. "High IQ and all of that."

Ally perks up at that. "Yep. I'm taking Chemistry," she says proudly. "Just like Ty did."

Clint looks at me curiously. "Why Tea?" He asks curiously.

I shrug. "My name's hard for a lot of the little kids, so Ally started saying Tea all the time when she called me." I smile a little. "Then she wrote Tea again, just spelled differently, and I realized she made up a nickname."

Natasha nods, impressed. "Are you planning on keeping her?" Natasha asks curiously.

I sigh. "I can't take care of her alone, but I can't leave her there, either," I say, trying to mask the sadness.

Tony looks at her for a long moment. "How interested are you in having kids?" Tony asks Pepper randomly.

Pepper blinks. "Um, yeah, I want kids…"

"Wanna start now?" He asks, grinning at Ally.

Ally gasps. "You want me?" She asks, a mix of excited and fearful.

Tony smiles. "As long as Pepper's willing to raise a kid with me,"

Pepper nods. "I can handle that."

Ally beams.

…

I pull Tony aside. "Why?" I ask, looking at him curiously.

He studies me for a while. "That looks bad," he says, brushing my cheek.

I wince, but I refuse to be distracted. "Why?" I ask again, looking at him head-on.

He sighs. "She seems like a good kid, and…she means a lot to you," he says, meeting my eyes. I stand still, speechless, and Tony disappears, joining Pepper and Ally by the bar.

Steve comes up to me and wraps an arm around my shoulder. "You did good," he says, smiling at me. He kisses my temple, and before I can say anything he's gone, laughing as Ally starts talking a mile a minute, still managing to tug him down.

Looks like I can't win today.


	8. Eight

_**Here we go guys! Thanks for the support! Here's chapter eight!**_

Eight

I hum to myself, lost in my own little world and making my way towards the kitchen.

"Hey," Steve says, meeting me on the way and smiling. "How are you feeling?"

I shrug. "It'll go away eventually, I guess. How's being Ally's new best friend?" I ask with a smile.

He laughs. "Interesting."

It's been about a week since Ally's joined us, and things have been…interesting. She's either with Tony or Steve, usually making her own inventions and learning art tips from Steve. It's pretty cute, actually. I've never seen her so _animated_. Back with Miss Gregory it was all about silence and obedience. Here…not so much _silence_.

"So," Steve says awkwardly, stopping in the hallway. I turn and stop in front of him, smiling. "I was wondering if you'd like to get dinner tonight? On a date?" He blurts quickly, ears turning pink.

I pause. "You want to go on a date with me?" I ask, confused. I thought…

Steve nods, blushing.

I smile, standing on my tip toes to kiss his cheek. "I'd love to."

Steve looks up with an embarrassed smile.

"I didn't think you'd ask me though," I say, mostly to myself, but of course Steve heard me, because I really needed that.

Steve frowns a little. "Why not?" He asks.

I shrug, studying my feet. "The hallway…"

He looks confused for a split second before realization dawns on his face. "That's why you were so upset," He says quietly.

I cringe, face burning. "I think I'm gonna-" I start, starting to step back.

Steve quickly catches my arm, keeping me from leaving. "No, don't," He says quickly. He seems to realize what he just said, and his cheeks turn pink. "I mean…"

I hide my blush behind my hair. "It's fine. What time were you planning on leaving?" I ask.

Steve snaps out of it and looks at me gently. "7?"

I smile. "7."

He kisses my cheek. "Dress nice. Trust me."

I smile, distracted by his eyes, and as we both lean closer…

"Ty!" Ally yells, jumping on my back and smacking me into Steve's chest face first (and that _hurt_). "Ty's gotta date with Stevie!"

Oh boy… "Ally," I chide, sliding her off my back carefully.

Ally grins mischievously, and she takes off yelling, "Ty has a date!"

"Ally!" I snap, chasing after her.

We make it to the living room, and Ally says, "Ty has a-"

I manage to get my arm around her waist and clamp a hand over her mouth, but it's too late. Everyone's staring at us with some kind of amused curiosity.

Well, besides Tony.

"Ty has a date?" Tony asks suspiciously, looking between me and Ally.

I shake my head as Ally nods. "Nope, nothing!" I blurt out a little too desperately.

Steve wraps his arms around me from behind and perches his chin on my shoulder. "Yep," He says calmly.

"Steve!" I say pleadingly.

Tony looks…pretty pissed.

"What?" Tony roars, glaring between us. "Who gave you permission to date my sister?" He demands, turning full force of his anger on Steve.

Steve just looks at him. "I did."

"Since when do you care?" I ask, incredulous. "You're the one who didn't want me."

Tony looks a little flustered at that. "I-well-I mean-"

Natasha rolls her eyes. "Give it up, Tony. By this point everyone knows."

Tony turns on her, upset. "You don't know what you're talking about!" He snaps, irritated.

Natasha rolls her eyes. "Whatever, Stark."

I deflate, letting go of Ally, and she grins up at me. "Daddy's weird," She says cheerfully.

I jump a little. So sue me, I'm not used to having a brother, much less having him adopt my favorite little kid. "Yeah, he's weird," I say grudgingly.

"Why does she sound like a three year old when she's so smart?" Clint asks, looking at her in confusion.

She gives him a truly dangerous smirk. "Looks can be deceiving, Agent Barton."

Clint almost does a spit take with his water, choking once he's swallowed, and she giggles like a little kid. I bite my lip to keep back my own smile, and Tony looks at her with a little more concern.

"I'm not weird, thank you," Tony say snootily, brushing off his AC/DC shirt. "I prefer to be called creative,"

"A creative pain in the ass," I mutter under my breath. Clint bursts out laughing, and Tony shoots me an irritated look. "What?" I ask defensively.

Steve kisses my temple. "You're crazy."

"Thanks, I try," I say perkily.

"Hey, no PDA," Tony warns.

I just look at him. "And you and Pepper are ok?"

Tony hesitates. "It's my tower!" He finally snaps.

I roll my eyes, and Steve holds me a little tighter. "Whatever, Tony," I sigh, grabbing Steve's hand and heading towards the elevator. "See you later," I call over my shoulder, pressing a button inside the elevator.

"Hang on, where are you going?" Tony protests, but the elevator doors shut before anyone can answer-not that I would anyway.

When the elevator doors shut, I let myself smile, but I watch laughing. Gotta watch that emotion.

Suddenly Steve spins, trapping my against the wall with his strong arms on either side of me, and I look up to see his face _really_ close to mine. I inhale a little, because his eyes are freaking _gorgeous_, and suddenly we're both moving, pressing our lips together for the first time.

I gasp when our lips touch. His lips are soft, smooth, and incredibly gentle. He pushes a little closer, his tongue begs for entrance, and I eagerly open for him, letting me explore.

I pull back when I run out of air, and he stare at each other, still breathing heavily and transfixed with each other's eyes.

"Captain, we are at Miss Felicity's floor," JARVIS says calmly.

We snap out of it, and he backs away, blushing furiously.

Me? I can't stop smiling.

Steve sees my face and smiles back, and he takes my hand gently and leads me out of the elevator, heading straight for the kitchen.

I've managed to fix this place up a little, especially since Pepper showed me my new floor and instantly announced a shopping trip. We even invited Natasha-and surprisingly we had a _lot_ in common. Now my kitchen has a cheap coffee maker and a color scheme (lavender and brown, my personal favorite). Pepper, true to her fashion, suddenly went crazy on making the floor match-brown couches and chairs, lavender walls, a _really _expensive TV (I think Natasha had something to do with that one…) and she even gave me purple covers on my bed. Yay.

Steve notices the colors and smiles. "Is purple your favorite color?" He asks, smiling at me.

I blush a little. "Lavender," I correct. "And yes, it is."

Steve smiles before giving my hand a squeeze, letting go and heading towards the kitchen. "Hungry?"

I smile. "Very." I slide on a stool and watch him start making something. "What are you making?"

Steve turns to grin back at me. "How do you feel about our first date being here?"

I smile. "I think it's great."

…

I snuggle into Steve's side, curling my legs under me as Steve scrolls through the channels.

"I don't know what half of this is," Steve says blandly.

I giggle, burying my face into him, and he tenses a little, before continuing to run a hand through my hair.

I peek up at him worriedly. "Did I hurt you?" I ask, trying not to tear up. If I hurt him too…

Steve turns bright red. "No…" he trails off, practically screaming 'Don't ask!'

I sag, relaxing and curling into him. "Ok. Let me know if I do, ok?"

Steve sighs. "You really want to know, don't you?"

More than anything. "Nope." I answer, catching his hand and twining our fingers together.

He chuckles quietly. "You can't lie to me, Ty,"

I shiver at my nickname. This is new. "I'm not lying,"

Steve moves his head so I can see it and raises an eyebrow, giving me a knowing look that's extremely adorable.

I bite my lip, because I will _not_ laugh, dang it, and hide my face again. He sucks in a breath, but then it's gone, and I look at him in concern.

"Steve, if you're hurt…" I start, starting to get really worried.

Steve sighs. "Look where your head is," he says reluctantly.

What?

I frown, looking at where my head was, and I fight a laugh. My head was under his arm and partly on his ribs.

"You're ticklish," I say, trying not to laugh.

Steve turns bright red again. "Shut up," he grumbles, shifting deeper in the couch and pouting adorably.

I finally give in and giggle, and Steve barely brushes the back of my neck with a mischievous look on his face, and I jump with a squeak.

"Hey!" I protest, shooting him a look, and he smiles innocently at me.

Suddenly JARVIS speaks over the intercom. "Captain? Mr. Stark would like to see you,"

Steve sits straight, and I scoot over so he can focus without me distracting me. "Is Tony ok?" Steve asks.

"Sir is fine, but he wishes to speak with your about the Lux," JARVIS says calmly. "They seem to be after Miss Felicity again."

And I go completely still.


	9. Nine

_**Bum-bum-BUM! New chapter! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, guys. School's been crazy and I haven't had time to write. But it's done now! Yay!**_

Nine

I sigh from my seat, resting my chin in my hand and looking at everyone. Tony and Steve are standing in front, observing everyone silently, Clint and Natasha are sitting together, whispering soundlessly about who knows what, and Bruce is kind of just there, waiting patiently.

Beside me Pepper sits with Ally on her lap, and Ally rests her head back on Pepper's shoulder. It's a little scary how they look almost exactly alike, but she even acts like Tony. It's like she wasn't abandoned as a baby and raised by an abusive foster mother.

"The Lux have just sent us a video message about Felicity," Tony says, looking right as me as I go tense. "It's up to her whether she wants us to show everyone or not."

"Who all's seen it?" Ally asks calmly.

Tony raises an eyebrow, but Steve calmly answers, "So far only Tony and JARVIS know what's on it."

I take a deep breath before nodding once. "Do it."

A screen appears in front of us, and I gasp once I see it.

It's me. When I was five years old.

_*Italics are video*_

_I'm running down the old, run-down alleyway, tears streaming down my face and struggling to breathe. I have an inhaler in my hand, squeezing it for all I have, and I hear someone chasing after me, getting closer and closer-_

_They grab my arm and yank, spinning me around and slapping me hard. I glare up at her, the tears falling faster, and the woman shakes me roughly._

"_You don't get to run off on your own, Felicity," she yells, ignoring my wince of pain. "You lost that right the moment your parents died. You're not wanted. Stop acting like anyone would and start following orders. You can't afford to tell people who you are. Do you want to ruin your brother's life?"_

_I swallow, forcing back a sob. "Yes, ma'am."_

"_Then stop crying and move," She snaps. I straighten, wipe the tears away, and steel myself._

_That was the day I learned who I was._

_*End video*_

I stare at the screen with a pale face, and I know everyone's looking at me in stunned silence, but I choose to ignore it and stare hard at the table.

"Felicity," Tony says quietly.

And then I snap, jumping from my seat, running anywhere, just _away_, and suddenly Tony's yelling after me and I disappear back to my floor, under my covers, and I just let myself cry.

…

There's a gentle knock at the door. "Ty?" Steve asks gently.

I make a noise, not really answering and not moving my face from the pillow to talk.

I hear the door open softly, and I lift just enough to see Steve sticking his head in the door through my hair. He looks directly at me, and I quickly dart back down, burying in the pillow. Forget niceness. I'm hiding.

Steve shuts the door behind him and slowly makes his way over to the bed. "Talk to me, Ty,"

I make a noise. Nope. Not gonna happen. Have fun.

The bed beside me dips as Steve sits down, rubbing his hand along my back. "Ty, I know you're up."

I don't answer.

Steve sighs, resting his hand on my lower back. "Please?" He asks helplessly.

That makes me go still. No one uses that voice with me. No one ever wanted to. I turn my head to the side, looking at his back, and I see him resting his head on a hand.

"I'm here," I answer quietly, watching Steve jump slightly.

Steve turns so he's facing me, and I reluctantly meet his eyes. "Ty, what's wrong?" Steve finally asks.

I sigh, shutting my eyes. "It's just…" I trail off helplessly, unable to describe it._ My brother and crush know about my past, and Lux has used it to make me miserable?_ Steve starts rubbing his thumb across my back, and I sigh. "I didn't want anyone to know," I say finally.

"Hmm," he hums, still brushing his thumb along my back and watching it calmly. "Why is that?"

I huff out a sigh and turn so I'm lying on my back, and Steve rests his hand on my stomach as he watches me closely. "I'm a mistake, Steve," I say finally, forcing myself to keep staring at the ceiling and not look in his direction. "I'm an unwanted, useless mistake. Do you know how hard it is? To know that I'm useless, and having to pray nobody finds out the truth?" Tears prick my eyes, but I force myself to push them back. "I'd rather pretend I'm normal."

Steve's hand tenses, putting more pressure on my stomach, and I tense myself. "You're not worthless," Steve growls, moving is hand so he's partially gripping my side and partially on my stomach, making my breath hitch. "You're not worthless, you're not unwanted, and you're not a mistake. And I bet even Tony would agree with me."

I snort, rolling on my side and resting my arm under my head. I can still see him, but he's not on my stomach anymore. Point for me. "Tony hates my guts."

"Doubt it," Steve retorts, resting his hand on my shoulder now. It's like he can't stop touching me, making sure I'm really there. I raise an eyebrow at him with a knowing expression, which he just shoots back to me, the jerk, and without warning Steve says, "JARVIS, send Tony up here please,"

"Already here," Tony says. I jump and lean over past Steve to see brother dearest leaning against the doorway, arms crossed and observing us calmly. "And I already heard, Capsicle."

I wince, and Steve shoots me a smug _I told you so_ face, which I make a face at. "How much did you hear, exactly?"

Tony's face doesn't change. "All of it," He straightens and slowly makes his way towards the bed. "And I agree with Steve."

I just look at him. "You hate me because I killed Mom and Dad."

Tony slowly shakes his head. "No, I don't."

I roll my eyes and huff bitter laugh. "No, you want to stay off Pepper's bad side, and this is something she feels strongly about, so you're going to listen to her." Tony blinks, off guard, and I smirk at him. "You're not the only genius, Tony. And it's obvious. I know I'm right."

Tony runs a frustrated hand through his hair. "Yes, I talked to Pepper about it. What you _don't_ know is that _I'm_ the one who went to her, not the other way around."

I blink. Well that was unexpected. "Why?" I ask without thinking. I resist the urge to kick myself (and lose, drawing their attention for a second) and he just looks at me curiously.

"What do you mean why?" He asks finally, his voice soft.

I close my eyes. "You hated me. You didn't really want me here, you didn't really want me near you, and you didn't give a damn about me before. Why now?"

Steve squeezes my arm a little, making me look at him and see his upset expression, but Tony just sighs and nods once.

"I know it sounds hard to believe," Tony says quietly. "But I know it's not your fault anymore. Anyone with eyes could see that. Unfortunately for you I'm stubborn and don't always see it."

Wow. Even more unexpected. I stare at him in shock for a few seconds. "What's the catch?" I ask finally.

Tony shakes his head slowly. "No catch. Just making an effort."

"There has to be a catch," I protest. No one wants to get to know me. I'm sure there's something wrong. And no, Steve doesn't count.

Tony rolls his eyes before coming over so he's right in front of me, kneeling beside the bed so we're eye level. "And why's that?" He asks calmly, putting his arms on the bed and resting his chin on his hands.

I maintain eye contact. "As I said before, I'm useless and a mistake. And as my foster mother happily pointed out, I'm nothing but a burden to you. Get the point?" I roll over so my back's facing him, and I hear him sigh wearily.

"I'm not giving up that easily," Tony says, standing. I can feel him looking at me, but I keep staring at the closet. "If you think being stubborn is going to keep me from proving to you that I'm trying, you're wrong. Captain," Tony says, nodding at Steve before turning on his heel and making his way to the elevator with new determination.

The second the door shuts I roll over on my back to see Steve looking at me with pursed lips.

"Yes?" I prompt, putting my hand over his and brushing over it with my thumb.

Steve inhales a little at the motion, staring at our hands, but he stays silent for a while. It feels like an entirely different tension has settled, but I have no idea if it's better or worse. "Why do you try to keep him away?"

I flinch for a split second before forcing a smile, making myself appear laid-back. "I don't," I say, watching his face and waiting for him to look at me. "Why would you think that?"

That did it. He cracks a smile and looks at me with an eyebrow raised. "You really wanna play that game?" He asks, putting a hand on my stomach again and making me tense. "You can't lie to me, Felicity." I suck in a breath at my name, and that _tone_, he is playing with fire, and that is _not_ ok.

I shoot him a challenging look. "I'm not," I say, smirking.

He smirks right back. "Sure you're not," he says conversationally, hands resting on my waist and making me really, _really_ nervous. "You'd never do that, right?" He says, looking right in my eyes as he rubs circles with his thumbs.

I squirm a little, refusing to crack. "Never have, never will," I say, exaggerating my smugness.

He raises a brow. "Problem?" He asks, lightening his touch.

I gasp a little, moving a little more. "N-no," I stammer.

Steve grins dangerously. "Good," he says lightly.

Then he attacks.

I shriek as he tickles my sides and stomach, and I yell, "Steve!"

After maybe five minutes he stops, smiling brightly as I catch my breath.

"Darn you," I gasp, glaring at him, still breathless.

Steve looks pretty accomplished. "Anytime," he says, brightening.

I roll my eyes before holding my arms out for a hug. He grins and moves beside me, wrapping me in his arms and pressing a kiss to my temple.

"Why?" Steve asks again, kissing my lips briefly so I can't try to deepen it, making me scowl.

I sigh, resting my head against his chest and closing my eyes. "I'm scared," I say finally.

Steve tenses, holding my tighter and closer somehow. "Why?" he asks gently, pressing his lips to my hair.

I sigh, and he rubs my back soothingly. "I'm scared people will find out what I am, and what I've caused, and they'll hate me or try to hurt me."

"Have people tried to hurt you?" Steve asks, his voice a little sharper.

I try to look up at him, but he moves his chin so it's on my head, and I huff in annoyance. "No 'trying' to it,"

Steve's grip tightens so it's almost painful. "Who?" He growls, making his chest rumble. I rub his back soothingly, and he slowly starts to relax again. "Why?" He asks, calming himself down.

I shrug awkwardly. "They can," I say emotionlessly. They do it because they can and they're heartless jerks who don't care if you're five or fifteen, but of course I won't tell him that. "They reminded me that nothing would have happened to my parents if I hadn't been born, so I just…accepted it."

Steve growls. "That's not how you should be feeling," Steve says darkly, making me flinch a little as he tenses. He seems to realize he's scared me and starts rubbing my back again, turning my muscles into Jello against my will. I sigh happily, and I feel him smile. "I'll fix it,"

I pull myself back enough so I can look up at him and he can look down with a little smug smile. "And how are you going to do that?"

Smirking teasingly, he leans closer, and our lips meet in a gentle kiss, filling my chest with warmth and making me feel…loved. Wanted. Completely new emotions I'm not used to experiencing.

"It'll be ok," Steve whispers as he pulls back, our foreheads touching and our eyes shut. "I'll find a way to fix it. I promise."

We stay like that, snuggled together, and eventually I drift off, feeling safe and secure in a way I haven't felt in a _very_ long time.

_**Stevie got his revenge ;) You're welcome. I think I'm getting better at making longer chapters, so that's good. Let me know what you think! And again, if you have any ideas, please let me know!**_


	10. Ten

Ten

I smile at Steve as I slide in the stool, catching the ketchup bottle that was chucked at my head (And Clint will pay for that) and watching with some interest as Pepper and Tony get into it.

"But she needs to be able to learn faster than normal!" Tony protests, taking a drink of coffee.

"She's five!" Pepper snaps. "She needs to be with people her own age!"

"I wasn't," Tony pointed out.

"And see how well that worked," I say nonchalantly. Tony glares, and I meet his gaze emotionlessly. "I get where you're coming from, but you need to just ask her."

"I already heard," Ally says calmly, hopping up on the stool next to me. "I wanna go to school like Ty did."

I sigh. "Ally, you don't want what I went through."

"But I might not be bullied like you were," Ally says, using her begging voice.

"Ally," I snap.

"You were bullied in school?" Tony asks curiously.

I just look at him. "I was hit at the foster home all the time. Of course I was bullied." Turning back to Ally, I make my voice gentle. "If you go to public school, it's going to be a lot of work. You already know that."

Ally nods once. "I want to go back."

I nod and look at Pepper. "You win."

Tony shoots me an irked look. "You're gonna get it, Felicity."

I just smirk. "Try me, Stark."

We suddenly enter an intense staring match, and JARVIS says, "Sir, someone is on their way up."

"Time out," Tony says, looking at one of JARVIS' cameras. "Who?"

"He said Miss Felicity would know who he is," JARVIS says, effectively stopping my happy dance.

"What?" I ask, confused.

The elevator doors open, and Jay stumbles in, covered in blood.

"Oh my gosh," I say, jumping to my feet and wrapping an arm around him. "Ally, get some water and washcloths. And a first aid kit," Ally jumps off the chair and runs, and I set Jay on a stool. "What happened?"

"Daddy hurt me," Jay says weakly, gripping the counter for dear life. "I disobeyed. I deserved it."

I swallow bile and help him remove his shirt. I gasp when I see it; blood _everywhere_, lashes and cuts all over his back, dark bruises all over the place.

Ally runs in, carefully balancing the stuff. "Is Jay gonna be ok?" Ally asks anxiously, studying his face.

I only offer it a glance. Bruises and split lips are normal from his father. The rest? Not so much. "I think so," I start carefully cleaning the wounds. "What did he use?"

"A belt," Jay whimpers. "I think a chair. I'm pretty sure there was a pipe. The usual."

I nod. "It was too close to the other cuts." I carefully wrap him up. "Ally, help me get his shirt over his head."

Suddenly a holographic screen appears in front of us, and a familiar face sneers at me. "Do you like your present, Felicity?"

"What the hell did you do to him?" I snap. I rarely cuss, but he's ticking me off.

"Watch it, Felicity," Jay's father warns. "I'd hate to have to kill him before it's time," He pauses, thinking. "Not that I would enjoy it any less."

"Daddy," Jay whimpers, gripping the counter so he can stand. "Daddy, please, I'll obey."

"Shut up," His father snaps, making Jay cower and whimper. "Felicity, you have three days to turn yourself over before we start killing. And I know how you hate to be responsible for another life."

I pale, stepping back. "I'll listen."

"Words are one thing," he says coldly. "Action is another. Would you like me to tell them who else you killed? Who else's life you've destroyed?"

"Shut up," I force out shakily. It wasn't my fault. It wasn't.

He smirks cruelly. "What would they think if they knew what you did?"

I grab a spoon from the counter and whirl, making it fall through his nose and closing the video. I drop shakily into a stool and cover my face with my hands. I'm vaguely aware of Jay curling up, coughing roughly, and I look up when I feel something wet land on my leg.

Blood.

I look up to see Jay coughing up blood, dropping down and grabbing his throat, and I drop next to him. _He can't die. Not another one. I can't kill another one._

Jay grabs my arm. "If I die," he says weakly. "Would Daddy be happy?"

I grab his arm roughly. "No. Jay…"

Jay grabs my chin roughly and forces me to look at him. "It wasn't your fault." He whispers. Then he coughs one last time, the force knocking him to the floor, and he's gone.

…

I stare blankly as Clint and Thor pick up the body, moving it away. Beside me Steve is holding me in his arms, rubbing my back soothingly and trying to calm me down. On the other side Ally is staring at the blood curiously, as if trying to understand.

"It's not your fault, Ty," Steve whispers soothingly. I hold him tighter, and he presses his lips to my hair.

"I think Jay's dad hit an organ," Ally says thoughtfully, his eyes distant as she looks for the signs. "That's the only thing I could think of besides poison, and his dad said he didn't want to kill him yet."

I nod, squeezing my eyes shut and hiding my face in Steve's chest. I can't believe he took someone else from me. I can't.

Tony clears his throat, and I reluctantly open my eyes and meet his gaze. "We need to know what's going on, Felicity. I know it's a bad time, but we could really use the information."

I nod solemnly. "Better get comfortable. This isn't exactly a happy story."

…

I sigh as I observe everyone. Tony and Pepper are on a loveseat, Ally snuggled between them. Thor relaxes in a chair by himself, a hand on this chin thoughtfully. Clint and Natasha are sharing a chair, Clint's arm around her waist (Note: Interrogate her about that later). Steve and I are sitting in an armchair, me in his lap and his arms around my waist. I'm not sure if he's trying to calm me down or keep me from running away, but either way it's working.

"Alright," I sigh. "Where do you want me to start?" I ask, look at Tony.

Tony rubs his goatee thoughtfully. "Start with Jay,"

I bite my lip. "Jay and I have been friends for a long time. I met him in an alleyway-well, meet's not the right word. He was lying on the ground, bleeding out, and I lugged him to the foster home and cleaned up the bruises. When he woke up we talked, and ever since we've trusted each other. Jay is-" I stop. "_was_ seventeen. He didn't deserve any of this."

"I loved it when he came over," Ally chimes in. "He was always nice to me."

I smile a little. "He took care of Ally. I owe him."

Tony nods.

"What about what his father said?" Nat says emotionlessly. "About killing people?"

I flinch violently, and Steve rubs my thigh. "A year ago I was in a car accident," I say quietly. "A drunk driver slammed into us head first. I was taking a girl from the foster home back, and she-" I force myself to swallow, fighting tears. "She didn't make it. My foster mother told me I did a good job. I hated myself for killing another person."

I swallow. "When my apartment burned down, going to see my parent's graves wasn't just because Howard and Maria were buried that day-which I _still_ don't understand why it was so late, but whatever-it was also because the girl I killed died that day. I try to pretend I didn't do it, but-" I shake my head.

Tony nods. "That's why you went that day instead of on your birthday."

I nod, unable to look at them, playing with the hem of my baggy sweater instead. Steve stills my hands, and I look at him hesitantly. He just smiles and kisses me gently. "It's not your fault, Felicity," Steve whispers.

I shake my head, tugging my hands free. "No, it's still my fault. Jay's father told me that if I didn't stop helping him, he'd kill him. This one's all on me."

"No," Tony says forcefully. "This one's all on him. He chose to hurt him. You chose to save him. It's completely different."

"You try being warned someone will die and disobey anyway," I grumble. "It's not like it matters. It's what I do." I hurt people.

Tony abruptly stands. "Come with me."

"What?" I ask, startled. He can't be serious.

Tony grabs my arm and propels me toward the elevator. "She'll be back soon, Cap."

"Take your time," Steve says calmly, relaxing in the chair.

No kisses for him for a week or two.

I try to dig my heels in the carpet, but of course Tony just tugs tighter, propelling me forward but keeping me from falling on my face.

As the doors shut, I cautiously peek through my hair. "Tony?" I ask timidly.

"Not yet," Tony snaps.

I cower and focus on the ground. I hear an exasperated sigh, and suddenly there's a hand resting gently on my shoulder. "Sorry. Just wait a minute, ok?"

I nod, not looking up, and Tony removes his hand. The doors open, and my eyes widen.

The lab.

There are tables _everywhere_, stuffed with machines and machine parts and _even more machines_ and tools.

"Beep beep!" Something chirps, and I look over to see a robot with a little hook zooming towards me. I step back a little as it spins around me, beeping happily, and I sway a little after trying to follow him with my eyes.

"Whoa," I say, touching my head. An arm wraps around my shoulders, keeping me steady, and I look up to see Tony watching me with a little smile.

"Ready to see my secret?" He asks.


	11. Eleven

_**By the way…no, I'm not revealing what the secret was. Yet. BWAH HA HA HAAAAAAA! …ahem. Anyway, sorry I haven't updated in a while. School's been rough and I've been feeling really crappy, so hopefully you enjoy this!**_

Eleven

I skip into the kitchen, hopping up on a stool and digging out my phone.

"Hey," Steve says gently, smiling sweetly.

I ignore him, smiling at something on my phone.

**Plan working?**

I happily type a yes, pressing the home button as Steve comes around behind me, trying to see what I'm doing. He wraps arms around me and perches his chin on my shoulder, pulling me close to him.

"Hey," He offers again, his voice gentle.

I keep ignoring him.

My phone dings, and I turn it up and force myself not to start laughing.

**Still coming to the movies with me tonight? ~A**

"A? Who's A?" Steve asks, tensing and sounding angry.

I shrug and start typing. **I dunno. We'll see.**

"We'll see what?" Steve asks, craning his head to see the screen, even though I moved it face down. "Ty," he whines, pouting like a little kid.

No, I will _not_ laugh at how adorable this is. No way. This is my turf.

The phone dings, and I quickly flip it, trying to hide it even though he's lifting himself up so he can see it. **What, got plans with that guy?**

"Say yes," Steve says forcefully, reaching for the phone. I move it out of his reach, but then his other hand moves, and I curl, holding it to my chest. "Felicity-" He freezes, realization dawning on him. "Not funny," he growls in my ear, yanking my phone from me and chucking it against the couch. In the next second he scoops me up, making me squeal and cling to him, and he carries me towards the elevator, face determined.

"You think I'll let you get away with pretending to be cheating on me?" He asks, his voice tinted with playfulness. "No way, baby,"

Ok, in my defense, there was no way to stop that little shiver. He doesn't deserve that knowing smirk. At all. Rude. He shouldn't use new words without permission.

"You think it's funny?' He asks tauntingly, knowing that wasn't what I meant. "Just wait until I'm done with you."

I swallow nervously. Yeah, I pluck people's nerves, but I've never tried it on Steve. And since he's bigger and stronger than me…yikes.

Steve tosses me on the couch on his floor, making me bounce and freak out a little. He climbs up and kisses me fiercely, a whole lot more passionately than I'm used to, and I gasp, letting him in and running fingers through his hair.

Suddenly my body's tugging his shirt up, my mind not keeping up, and I fight through the fog when he starts kissing my neck.

"Steve," I breathe desperately, hands on his chest and body tensing.

Steve immediately pulls back, eyes scanning mine urgently. "Are you ok? Did I hurt you?"

I huff out a little laugh. "No, you're fine…I just…"

Steve pecks my nose, making me scrunch it, and he smiles softly at me. "Tell me," he says gently, eyes showing nothing but concern for me.

I duck my head, cheeks burning. "I'm scared," I whisper, hiding in his surprisingly comfortable chest. "I want to wait until I'm married."

Steve pulls away, and before I can show any fear his lips press against mine, knocking any concern out of me.

"I thought it was just me," he whispers, forehead resting against mine and grinning happily.

I pause. "Then why'd you go that far?" I demand, pulling away to glare at him.

He just watches me. "I thought you wanted it."

I huff out a breath. "Tell me next time," I growl, irritated.

He leans forward and kisses my forehead. "Sorry," he whispers, trailing his lips down the bridge of my nose before pulling back enough to peck my lips. "Forgive me."

I huff, annoyed. "You ruined my plan," I complain, running out of things to whine about. He needs a shirt. This is way too distracting.

Steve grins, brushing my cheek with his thumb and resting his big hand on my neck/jaw/that general area. "Well, you shouldn't have tried to trick me," he grins, smirking playfully. "Who's A?"

I shrug nonchalantly. "A guy," I say simply, brushing my fingers against his collarbone. Seriously, this dude is ripped. What the heck.

Steve catches my wrist, looking at me seriously. "It wasn't a prank?" He asks a little frantically.

I grin and peck his lips, pulling free and heading towards the kitchen. Not answering his question.

"Wait, it was a prank, right?" Steve asks, calling after me.

I smirk, strutting over and grabbing my phone.

**Thanks Tony. It worked.**

I grin when my phone dings.

**Good. Tell me later.**

"Tell who what?" Steve asks, right behind me.

I grin and turn around kissing him and shutting him up.

"Felicity," he warns after I pulled back.

I grin. "Tony,"

Steve blinks. "Huh?"

I roll my eyes. "Tony was who I was texting."

Steve blinks twice. "A for Anthony?"

I grin. "Bingo!" I cheer, opening the fridge and digging for food.

Steve's pouting when I pop back out of the fridge with chocolate ice cream-Steve's favorite-and I swear if he had dog ears they'd perk up.

"What, you want some?" I ask, reaching up for a bowl. He looks crestfallen, and I grin, knowing he didn't see me grab another bowl. I dish it out and offer it to him. "Truce?" I ask.

He grins, kissing my cheek before digging in eagerly.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your meal, Captain," Jarvis says politely. "But Sir wants everyone downstairs for an emergency meeting."

I perk up. "What about?" I ask eagerly.

Steve shoots me a worried look before turning attention back to one of Jarvis's sensors. "Is everything ok?"

"Yes, Captain," Jarvis says, sounding happy. "I believe you'll like this news."

…

Tony?" I call, walking into the living room. "Is everything ok?"

Tony smiles, eyes sparkling happily. "Of course. You two were the only people left, so we can start now," Tony says, turning towards everyone else. "Pepper and I are getting married."

I smile happily, rushing over and hugging Pepper. "Congratulations!"

"What about me?" Tony says, feigning offense.

I pat his arm. "It's about time, Tony."

Tony shoots me an irritated look. "Thanks," He drags out. I grin and give him a big hug, and he smiles back, squeezing me a little.

"Excellent, Man of Iron!" Thor says perkily. "We shall celebrate with a feast!"

"There's more, big guy," Tony says, patting his back. "Pep?"

Pepper can't hide her beaming face. "We're having a baby!"

_**No, that wasn't the secret. But hopefully you'll like this too XD Please review!**_


	12. Twelve

Twelve

"How do you feel about Pepper and the baby?" I ask causally, working on braiding Ally's long red hair.

"I dunno," Ally says, shrugging. "I'm happy for them,"

"But?" I prod, reaching for a hair tie.

"They'd forget about me anyway," Ally says casually. "I don't see a problem with it starting earlier."

I go still, still holding her now-finished braid. "Why would you say that? They adopted you, Allison."

Ally turns and looks up at me. "Everyone gets sick of me, Ty," She says calmly, her blue eyes wide and accepting. "Even my birth parents got sick of me. Why wouldn't Tony and Pepper be any different?"

I go tense. The fact that she isn't calling them Mom and Dad is a huge red flag. "Ally, they didn't just adopt you because they can."

"Technically they did," Ally points out. "They adopted me for you."

I flinch, swallowing and looking down. "I didn't ask them to."

Ally puts a hand on my arm. "I never said that." Her eyes widen in terror. "Ty, I didn't mean-"

"Hey," Steve says, smiling as he enters the living room. "What are you doing in my living room?"

Ally looks at me in concern, but I just smile and peck Steve's lips. "I was helping Ally braid her hair. Do you mind if I go help Tony?"

Steve smiles. "Of course not. Maybe I can convince Ally to teach me how she draws so fast," he says, grinning at her.

I smile gratefully, escaping into the elevator. "I'll see you later!" I call, smacking the button repeatedly.

…

Steve turns to look at Ally, pausing when he sees her so upset. "Ally, what's wrong?"

Ally blinks and looks at him worriedly. "I think something's wrong with Felicity."

…

"But if you put it here, the performance will increase at least 500%!" I protest, snatching the part from Tony and moving it back where I had it.

"Yes, but if it's over here, this other piece will be improved 500%!" Tony snaps, snatching the piece and putting it back where he had it.

"That's not as good as improving the defense!" I snap, exasperated.

"Who's the oldest here?" Tony snaps, hands on his hips and glaring at me.

"Who's the smartest here?" I retort, putting my hands on my hips and glaring right back at him.

The elevator dings, and neither of us move as Natasha steps into the lab.

"Oh, great, I stepped into an argument," Natasha says blandly, rolling her eyes. "Tony, we're having an important Avengers meeting. Can we borrow you a sec?"

Tony studies her for a split second before nodding once. "I'll be right back," he says, following Nat into the elevator. "And there'd better not be any changes to this room while I'm gone." He threatens, giving me a mock glare as the doors shut.

I roll my eyes. "Of course not,"

"Do you need anything, Miss Felicity?" Jarvis asks from the ceiling.

I sigh wearily, dropping down on the couch and throwing an arm over my head. "No thanks, Jarvis," I say quietly.

The AI doesn't answer at first. "Is something wrong, Miss?" The AI asks almost hesitantly.

I sigh, moving my arms and resting them on my stomach. "Jarvis, is Tony and Pepper adopting Ally my fault?"

"What do you mean?" Jarvis asks.

I take a deep breath. "I mean, did Tony and Pepper only adopt her because I wanted to keep her safe?"

Jarvis doesn't answer again, and right when I'm about to force myself up- "Yes, Miss Felicity."

I nod to myself, deep in thought. "That's what I thought."

"Are you sure everything's alright, Felicity?" Jarvis asks, and if he can sound worried, this is it.

"Jarvis, what's the meeting about?" I ask bluntly.

"…you, Felicity," Jarvis answers quietly.

Tears sting my eyes. "And Steve?"

"Steve is leading the conference," Jarvis says. "Miss, I don't think-"

"Jarvis, I'm leaving," I say, forcing myself up on my feet. "Don't tell anyone I'm leaving, or that I've left. Not even the time or how long ago."

"Miss, I'm under direct orders from Captain Rogers-"

"Then override it. Code HDUF97YDHFO," I say angrily. "Not a word, Jarvis."

"Miss, are you sure you're feeling alright?" Jarvis asks worriedly. "Your health reports clearly show depression as a-"

"Jarvis, mute." I say, wiping my eyes free of tears. "To my room, please. No stops for anyone."

"Yes, Miss," Jarvis answers, sounding dejected.

I sigh heavily. "Sorry, Jarvis. I just need to get out of here."

"I understand, Miss Felicity," Jarvis says calmly. "I hope you have a safe trip wherever you're going."

I smile a little. I love Jarvis. "Yes, Jarvis."

…

"Ty?" Steve calls, wandering the halls. "Ty, where are you?" He calls, starting to get worried. After Ally told him what she said and the whole Ty-has-depression thing, Steve quickly called in a meeting to see what they could do to cheer her up. The solution: movie nights every week. And also making more efforts to spend time as a family. Hopefully the closeness will help not only the team, but Ty's depression.

He just wish he'd told her.

"Ty?" A new voice calls, sounding just as worried.

"Tony?" Steve asks, turning the corner. Sure enough Tony's there, face worried as he roams the halls. "She's not with you?" Steve asks, a little panicked.

"I was hoping she was with you," Tony says. "Jarvis, is Felicity here?"

Jarvis hesitates. "Miss Felicity isn't in at the moment," Jarvis says, sounding as if he was choosing his words carefully.

"How long has she been out?" Steve asks.

Jarvis pauses. "I am under strict orders not to give away the information." Jarvis says quietly.

Tony pinches the bridge of his nose, frustrated. "Override. Code HDUF97YDHFO."

"I'm afraid she's already overridden the code," Jarvis says.

"New code. DFKOIFO8DF7FLGJMLD. User Anthony Edward Stark."

"Miss Felicity left shortly after you left the lab," Jarvis answers. "She was very upset."

Steve and Tony share a look. "We have to find her," Steve breathes.

…

I sigh, feeling the cold air sting my cheeks and snuggling deeper into my jacket. By now Steve and Tony- or both- will be wondering where I went, and soon they'll realize I'm gone.

Hopefully Jarvis still has my back.

I hear footsteps crunching against the frost, and I spin just in time for someone to hold a sickly-sweet smelling cloth to my face.

_Steve_, my mind whispers worriedly, and then I lose consciousness.


	13. Thirteen

_**Sorry this has taken a while, guys! Lots going on and such. So here we go: chapter thirteen! :D**_

Thirteen

I groan, peeling my eyes open to see a bright white light. I shove upright to see bars, and I instantly know what's happened.

HYDRA got me. Again.

"You know, it really defeats the purpose of leaving me in the dark if you keep pulling the same trick," I say blandly.

No one answers.

I sigh, leaning against the bars and shutting my eyes.

I guess this is what I deserve.

…

"Does _anyone_ have a location," Tony says blandly, looking at JARVIS's screens blandly.

"Nope," Natasha says, popping the p.

Clint yawns, rubbing his eyes. "We've been searching for hours, Stark. Maybe they put her off the grid?"

"Off the…" Tony's eyes snap wide open. "JARVIS, check anything underground! Didn't they have her underground last time?"

Steve's eyes widen. "She's in the same spot?"

Natasha nods, the location popping up on her screen. "The exact same spot."

"This has got to be a trap," Steve mutters. "JARVIS, how many people are you reading underground within a ten mile radius?"

"Thirty, Captain," JARVIS says calmly.

"That seems a little too easy." Steve mutters.

"JARVIS, any other locations?" Tony calls, tapping his lip.

"There are about 100 people around Miss Felicity's old apartment." JARVIS answers instantly.

"It's gotta be under the apartment." Tony mutters. "Cap?"

"Under the apartment," Steve agrees, standing. "Suit up everyone. We're getting her back."

…

The alarm blares, the red lights flashing throughout the room and making me jump. I have no idea what's going on, but I don't like it, especially since I'm _still in a cage_.

But that's beside the point.

The door opens, and a large figure steps out from the shadows.

"Steve?" I whisper, my eyes wide.

He relaxes, looking extremely relieved. "Thank goodness," he breathes, rushing over. "Back up, ok?"

I quickly crawl backwards, and Steve breaks the lock with his shield. He holds a hand out for me, and I hesitantly take it, letting him help me out. He wraps me in his arms, and I close my eyes, reveling in his warmth.

"I missed you," he whispers in my hair.

I tighten my grip. "I missed you too."

He pulls back and cups my face, pulling me into a deep kiss. When he finally pull apart, he smiles at me gently. "I love you,"

I take a sharp breath. He's never told me that before. "I love you too," I whisper, going on tip toes to kiss him briefly. "How do we get out of here?"

He takes my hand gently, entwining our fingers. "We just have to find the entrance. Did they hurt you?" He asks, starting to get a little frantic.

I roll my eyes and grab his hands tightly. "No, they didn't hurt me. No one's been in here while I've been awake."

Steve nods, breathing a sigh of relief. "Ok. Let's find Tony. He's been worried."

…

"Hey, Tony!" I call, watching as he's flown past me into a wall.

"Hey, Ty!" Tony calls, in the process of punching the huge guy who's holding him against the wall. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm good," I call back, observing as Tony kicks the man off, blasting at a few men running towards him.

"Stay here," Steve says in his Captain America voice, sending shivers down my spine as he runs, tossing his shield and knocking out two guards.

"Get back in your cage," Someone growls, grabbing my arm painfully.

I whirl, punching him in the face and knocking him to the ground, unconscious.

Cool.

"Felicity!" Steve calls, swinging his shield and knocking someone out by clipping him on the head.

"I'm okay!" I call, swinging at another big man trying to grab me. "Ow!" I yell, reaching up to touch my nose, ignoring the tears pricking my eyes.

That _hurt_.

I rush forward and aim a roundhouse kick, clipping him in the head and making him drop.

"That was for my nose," I hiss, wiping blood from my upper lip.

I look up to see Tony knocking out the last of the men, and I smile as I see them; Nat, who's become one of my best friends; Clint, the idiot I'm definitely going to brain one of these days; Bruce, who's currently wearing some very loose pants and an extremely baggy t-shirt; Tony, who's mask is off as he eyes my nose; and Steve, approaching me while staring at the blood.

"Hey," I offer weakly.

Tony doesn't seem to like that. "Hey? _Hey?_ Why the hell did you leave the tower, anyway? You could've been seriously hurt, Ty!"

I flinch, looking down despite the increase of blood flowing. "I'm sorry."

I hear Tony sigh wearily, and Steve's big hand rests on my shoulder. "Let's go home," Steve says gently, smiling as I look up.

…

"Ow," I hiss, wincing as Steve dabs my nose with a wet washcloth, the cool towel making my nose sting.

"Sorry," Steve says apologetically, giving my hand a little squeeze. "I have to get the blood off. Te cold should stop the bleeding."

"I brought an nose clip," Bruce says, walking in with a towel wrapped around something. "Is the cold towel helping."

"A little," Steve answers, dapping once more time before pulling back. He takes the clip from Bruce and helps my hold it against my nose. "Head back," he orders firmly.

I roll my eyes before giving a mock salute and tilting my head back.

"So why did you leave?" Tony asks, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorway.

I sigh, lifting the clips up to speak. "Do you really need to ask?"

"Yes, I do," Tony snaps. "I know that stupid argument isn't enough to make you leave."

I lift my head and glare at him, ignoring Steve's warning look. "I know what the meeting was about, Tony,"

Tony's eyes widen. "You know about the plan?"

I roll my eyes. "I'm not stupid, Tony," Gee, how hard is it to figure out they're going to shun me? Not at all.

"Dammit," Tony snaps, running a hand through his hair. "Ok, new plan. Operation Fix Ty's Depression is restarting. We'll have to have a new meeting, and-"

"Wait, what?" I ask, looking at him. What the heck is he talking about?

Tony stares at me, looking at me like I've lost it. "What did you think we had the meeting about?"

"Um, me being a pain to everyone and kicking me out because I forced you and Pepper to adopt Ally," I say slowly, looking at him like he's stupid. "I don't know what _you're_ talking about."

Tony tilts his eyes, eye's suddenly shut off. Which I hate, because then I can't read his emotions anymore, and it's annoying. "You thought we were going to kick you out?" He asks quietly.

Suddenly I start feeling the stares of everyone, and I have trouble breathing. I quickly stand and rush out of the room, not looking back at anyone.

…

I look out on the lights of New York with a mug of coffee, always captivated by the lights of the buildings and the sight of the water rippling, lit up by the bridge. I wish I was a carefree as the waves, able to just keep moving, not held down by anything or anyone.

Unfortunately, I missed my chance.

"Ty?" Steve's voice calls out gently, the worry still peeking out.

I sigh. "In here," I call back. Hopefully he didn't hear the sadness, because I really don't need that today.

As usual, I'm not very lucky when it comes to him. I hear him walk up behind me as I try not to look at his reflection in the glass, and strong arms wrap around my waist, pulling me closer to a warm body with rock solid muscles.

"Hey," Steve says gently, resting his cheek against mine.

I bite my lip, focusing on the water. "Hey," I say, using monotone to my advantage.

Steve sighs wearily. "Do you know why I called that meeting?" He asks quietly, catching my eyes in the reflection. The raw sincerity and determination in his eyes scare me, and I swallow, unable to answer.

I don't need to. "Ally told me she was worried about you. I wasn't sure what she was talking about, but then she started saying something about you having depression and…I just lost it. I want to help you through it, Ty, but you didn't even tell me it was a problem."

I close my eyes, fighting the guilt. "I'm sorry," I whisper.

I feel lips against the skin under my ear, kissing gently. "You shouldn't be," he whispers, moving along my jaw and making me shiver. "It's you choice who knows. I just wish I'd known so I could've told you what was going on."

I turn and press my lips to his gently, trying to soothe any guilt he might have, but he pushes it a little farther, holding my cheek in his hand and pouring every amount of reassurance and love he might have into it, and I raise my hands, moving one to his neck and carding one through his hair.

"I love you," he whispers, pulling back a little. "Ok?"

I close my eyes, resting my forehead against his. "Ok."

_**So what's next? Ty's depression? Is HYDRA going to interfere again? Am I actually going to tell you what Tony showed her that made them close? We'll see ;) Please review!**_


	14. Fourteen

_**Hello loves! Sorry it's been a while, there's been a lot doing on that I've had to deal with. But I'm back, and we're rolling again! Enjoy! :)**_

Fourteen

"Am I even doing this right?" I ask, turning to look over at Tony.

Well, where he _should _be.

"Tony?" I ask, scanning around the area. I swear he was here two seconds ago.

Tony's head pops up from under the table. "What?"

I fight the urge to roll my eyes. "Am I doing this right?"

He grunts, shoving himself to his feet, and he walks over with focused eyes. "Yeah, that's perfect."

I sigh wearily, setting it down, and Tony turns to lean against the table, facing the opposite direction and crossing his arms. "Go on,"

I blink, looking up at him. "Huh?"

He looks at me gently, an almost-smile on his face. "I can tell something's bothering you. Out with it."

I bite my lip before turning to face him. "How did you deal with it?"

Tony grabs a stool and pulls it so we're sitting with our knees touching. "What do you mean, exactly?"

I close my eyes and force myself to continue. "You said it was hard for you when you came back from…"

"Being kidnapped?" Tony offers calmly.

I flinch a little, but I nod. "And knowing you helped kill all of those people. And then you kept having anxiety attacks because you knew you were dying."

Tony tilts his head, studying me carefully. "Yes," he says slowly, face watching mine. "Why are you asking about this?"

I duck my head and study my lap. "I've killed people."

Tony takes a deep breath. "Not intentionally."

"Then what I did wasn't much different than what you did," I say, looking up to stare at him harshly. He blinks, taken aback, but I can't stop now. "So how did you deal with it?"

Tony closes his eyes and takes one of those deep, composing breaths before looking at me again. "What I did wasn't normal," he says carefully. I keep looking at him, and he sighs. "I made a better Iron Man suit and tried to help people."

I swallow thickly. "What would you have done if you didn't have the suits?"

Tony shifts a little, resting an arm on the table. "Honestly? I would have drunk myself half to death."

"Like now?" I ask innocently, peeking up at him and trying to hide my grin.

He shoots me a bland look. "Very funny," he deadpans. "No, I would've done a whole lot worse." He looks at me a little differently. "But if I were in your situation, I'd try to move on and remember them in the best way possible."

I toy with the hem of my shirt, not looking at him again. "What about Mom and Dad?" I ask quietly.

Tony grabs my chin and forces me to look at him. "That wasn't your fault," he says, emphasizing every word. "It's not your fault HYDRA killed Howard, and I'm sure our mother would be upset to hear you blaming yourself."

I meet his eyes with my own teary ones, knowing we share Mom's eyes. "She'd be alive if it weren't for me," I whisper shakily.

And then I burst into tears, curling down. I've never let myself cry over them; I don't remember them. I feel guilty for helping kill them, but I never really mourned.

Tony curses under his breath before wrapping me awkwardly in his arms, rubbing my back soothingly. "JARVIS, call Steve in here,"

"Yes, sir," JARVIS answers instantly.

"No!" I blurt, my head shooting up and almost hitting Tony in the face. "Don't call him."

"Felicity," Tony warns.

"I can't! I don't want him to see this," I say, looking at Tony pleadingly.

Before I can change Tony's mind, the elevator doors open, and Steve walks out, worry etched all over his face. "Ty?" He asks, making his way over.

I hide in Tony's chest, and I hear Tony sigh. "She's upset about Mom and Dad," Tony says, rubbing my back again.

It's quiet for a little while, and then Tony's arms are replaced with solid muscle, and then Steve's scooping me up, resting his head against mine as he carries me toward the elevator.

"Steve," I whisper shakily, my voice insanely quiet, but I feel Steve kiss my hair and know he heard me. "Steve, you don't have to carry me. I'll just take a shower and go to sleep."

"Not gonna happen," Steve says quietly, walking right into the waiting elevator. "JARVIS, straight to my floor, please."

I wiggle a little in his grip. "Can I at least stand?"

Smirking, Steve kisses me forehead. "No."

I pout, but I let it go, knowing I don't stand a chance against the super soldier. "Am I handling this right?" I ask, looking up at him worriedly.

The pain in his eyes cuts through my chest, and he kisses me briefly. "I think so, considering you didn't grieve your parents. I'm sure it was hard."

I shrug, not looking at him and just resting my head in the crook of his neck. "I guess," I say gently.

Steve steps in his floor, and the first thing he does is head for his bedroom.

"Steve?" I ask, my grip tightening.

He kisses my forehead before setting me gently on the bed, moving towards his closet and pulling our one of his shirts. "Go take a shower and put this on," he says, tossing it to me. I catch it clumsily, a little surprised, and Steve heads into the bathroom, tugging out towels and soap. "I'll ask Natasha to bring you some pants."

"Why?" I ask, forcing myself up on shaky legs.

Steve pokes his head out the door and raises eyebrows at me. "You need to relax for once."

"I relax," I protest, offended. What does he think I do all day, work Pepper's job? Geez.

He gives me a look. "No, you don't."

I sigh. "Fine. Just shower?"

"Yep," he says, leaving the bathroom and wrapping arms around my waist. "And then we have a date,"

Call me old-fashioned, but my heart gives a little flip at the word 'date'. Just a little. "Oh?" I ask, trying to sound nonchalant.

Steve grins mischievously, resting his forehead against mine as he smirks at me. "Mm-hm. A date. Just you and me," he whispers, his grip tightening.

Oh, now I get it. "Seduction doesn't work on me," I whisper, moving so my lips brush his as I talk. You wanna play the seduction game? I'll play. Bring it, Golden Boy.

His face darts forward, his lips catching mine, and we both smile into the kiss, my hands tangling in his hair as he holds me closer to him.

"Hey, when I wanted you to cheer her up, I didn't mean to make out with her," Tony's voice says over the intercom.

Steve pulls away enough to speak. "Shut up, Tony," he growls, no real heat to it. I chuckle as our lips meet again, and I feel Steve smile as Tony makes an indignant noise.

Steve pulls back and whispers, "We really need to stop," he whispers, a hand on my cheek as he brushes it with his thumb.

"Yeah," I whisper back, swallowing.

"Maybe in a minute," he decides, pulling me into another kiss.

…

"You're wet," Steve says with a smile, shifting to wrap an arm around me as my hair soaks through his shirt.

I laugh once. "I just got out of the shower, genius,"

Steve gives me a little shove, grinning. "How do you feel?"

I take a deep breath. "Better, I guess. I've never really gone through this before, so…"

Steve smiles gently, kissing my hair and wiping the water off of his face dramatically, making me laugh a little. "Just breathe, okay?"

I look at him curiously. "I'm assuming you've been through this before? With Bucky and Peggy?"

Steve takes a deep breath. "And my parents. Even when you're panicking, you just need to breathe."

I rest against him, closing my eyes and enjoying the warmth and closeness.

Breathe.

_**Shorter, sweeter, probably more of a filler, but I'm pretty content with the ending. Please review!**_


	15. Fifteen

_**Alright guys, the moment you've all been waiting for: Tony's dirty little secret! Ok, not really 'dirty', but it sounded good. Hopefully you guys will enjoy the chapter!**_

Fifteen

I sit in silence on the stool, my arms crossed and a hand under my chin, watching the holographic screen intently. Ever since Jay died and Tony showed me this place, I've kind of avoided it like the plague. I mean, don't get me wrong, I owe a lot to this room (and Tony) for fixing our relationship, but it's just so…weird.

I hear Tony come up to stand beside me, but I don't react, even though I meet his eyes in the screen (holographic screens aren't perfect, ya know). His arms are crossed too, but he doesn't look mad.

If anything, he looks like he's trying not to look relieved.

"I was wondering when you'd come down here," Tony says calmly. "You weren't acting normal."

I shrug, moving hair from my face and studying the birth certificate again. "Just surprised, I guess."

Tony and I both read the birth certificate for maybe the hundredth time.

**Allison Jade Stark**

**Born July 14****th****, 2008**

**Mother: Virginia Potts**

**Father: Anthony Stark**

"I still can't believe Pepper was the one who wanted to give her away," I say quietly.

Tony nods. "I know. What most people wouldn't suspect is that she actually didn't want anything more than a job. Sure, she slept with me, but the next morning she let me sleep in and handled all of my business work. I went downstairs, was given a cup of coffee, and realized my work was done."

"And you hired her," I say, nodding.

He smiles fondly. "Yeah. I was impressed. Especially since when she was pregnant, we talked about what to do,"

I turn towards him, listening a little eagerly. "Then what?" I ask, actually interested.

He smiles genuinely at me. "We both knew that if I had a kid openly, everyone would try to come out about having my kids. So Pepper decided we should put it in the foster care system."

I bite my lip. "What was it like?" I ask quietly. "Meeting her? Giving her away?"

Tony sighs, running a hand through his hair. "It was the hardest damn thing I'd ever done."

I release a breath I didn't know I was holding. "What did she look like?"

Tony smiles fondly, his eyes reminiscing. "She was beautiful," he says gently. "She had Pepper's red hair and blue eyes."

I blink a little. "Like Ally?" I ask curiously. _**(READ: I am SO SORRY that I don't mention Ally's hair color enough! But it's red, I promise! ~Raven)**_

Tony blinks too, a small frown appearing on his face. "Yeah…" he trails off, lost in thought. "Ty, do you know the address of that foster home?"

I frown. "Yeah, but…"

"Can you give it to me please?" He asks, turning towards the screen and turning it off.

"Uh, I guess…" I trail of, not really moving even though Tony's turned towards me a little anxiously. "Why…?"

"Just trust me," Tony says resting a hand on my shoulder and squeezing gently. "Ok?"

I close my eyes and sigh wearily. "Ok," I whisper.

…

"Gin!" Thor calls, throwing his cards on the table.

Clint shoots him a weird look. "We're playing Five Card Draw,"

"Oh," Thor says, looking at his cards. "Then what do I have?"

Bruce leans over and looks at his cards. "Two of a kind," Bruce says, pointing out the matching cards.

Thor nods. "Very good!" He says, slamming his hand on the table and making everyone jump. "I like this game!"

I smile, moving my deck flat against my chest as Steve leans over to sneak a peek- again. "No peeking," I chide, shoving him to the side gently with my elbow.

He grins and kisses my cheek before turning and laying his cards down. "Flush," he says proudly, smirking.

Natasha drops her three of a kind with a scowl. "Ty, you're next," she says.

"Bruce?" I prod.

Bruce sets his cards down. "Two of a kind."

Clint drops his cards with a scowl. "Nothing," he pouts.

All eyes land on me.

I smirk and set my cards down. "Royal flush," I say calmly.

"WHAT?" Clint explodes, smacking the table. Thor just smiles at me, like Bruce does. Nat eyes me carefully.

Then there's Steve.

"You cheated!" He accuses, narrowing his eyes at me.

I grin at him and peck his chin. "A little upset there?" I tease.

He pulls me in for a kiss, pecking my neck and making me giggle as he leans forward, making me have to cling to his arms not to fall backward. Well, not that Steve would move his hands from my back and my neck, but still.

And then my spare deck of cards fall on the floor.

Steve goes still, pulling his head back to look at the cards. "Felicity," he growls in a warning voice.

I force a weak laugh. "Um…sorry?"

Natasha just rolls her eyes. "Typical Stark."

Steve helps me back on my seat, but his irked look is still there.

"I love you?" I offer nervously.

Steve rolls his eyes, but he can't stop a grin. "Love you too," he says, leaning forward to plant a kiss on my lips.

The elevator doors open, and Tony walks in with Pepper and Ally right behind him.

"Why can't you just tell me _now_?" Ally whines, using her puppy dog eyes on Tony.

"Just a _minute_," Tony whines back, turning to look at everyone. "What are you guys doing?"

"Playing cards," Clint says, taking a drink of water from his glass.

"Your sister's a cheater," Steve deadpans.

"Steve!" I snap, whacking him in the arm. None too gently.

Tony blinks, cocking his head. "Huh?"

"Nothing," I blurt out quickly. "Anyway, what's going on?"

Tony shoots me a curious look, but he drops the subject. "I have some news for everyone, including Ally," He says, turning to look at her.

"Really?" She asks, looking excited as she climbs on Steve's lap.

Tony smiles. "Really," he says, wrapping an arm around Pepper's waist. "So let's start with a little Story Time."

"I hate your Story times," Clint grumbles, crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat with a pout.

"Almost six years ago Pepper and I had a baby," Tony says calmly. Everyone gasps and stares with wide eyes, but I just squeeze Steve's hand reassuringly. Steve looks at me in shock, but I just smile gently and kiss his cheek. Understanding fills his eyes, and he nods, wrapping arms around Ally's waist and tugging her closer, making her smile.

"We decided that to avoid any drama associated with claiming the baby by send her into adoption." He continues, as if no one's looking at him in total shock. "The baby ended up in the foster care system, but now we know who she is."

"Really?" Natasha says, leaning forward in a new interest.

Tony and Pepper share a smile. "Her name is Allison Jade," She says.

Ally shoots up. "Me? That's my name!" She says, looking a little nervous but eager.

Tony smiles. "We checked in with the foster home," he says calmly. "And we found a way to have a DNA test. She's our daughter."

Ally's eyes get wide. "So I'm not just adopted?" She asks, still a little skeptical.

Smirking, Tony holds out an arm, and Ally hops down to rush to him, wrapping arms around him. He holds her close and leans to kiss her head. "You're ours, baby girl," he whispers.

"So Ally was theirs the whole time?" Steve whispers, leaning closer to me.

I smile and plant a brief kiss on his lips. "Yup," I say proudly.

His eyes narrow. "That was what he showed you that day, isn't it?" He asks suspiciously.

I smirk. "Maybe,"

He grins, laughing a little and kissing my temple.

"So does that mean there are really three Starks under one roof?" Clint asks.

Pepper pats her tummy. "And one on the way."

Everyone pauses for a second, digesting this, and my eyes widen.

Oh boy.

_**An important note, it's only October in here! So lot's have gone on in these past few weeks! Probably too much…ah, well. Moving on. Please review!**_


	16. Sixteen

_**So I just realized that it's actually not October in this story… it's actually caught up to date. I think the reason I didn't realize it was because I have time skips I don't actually keep track of. For some dumb reason. I dunno. ANYway, please enjoy the next chapter! And I'm still taking scenes people want to see, even though no one sends me any. But that's ok, because you guys are reviewing, and that's WAY more important :) Love you guys!**_

Sixteen

I hum to myself, lying on Steve's bed and sketching a picture of his parents. I asked JARVIS to let me know if he comes up, but who knows if that will actually happen. The picture isn't the best, but considering how old it is, it's pretty decent. Plus, I've seen Steve's sketches, plus heard the stories about them and his life without them (and Steve is _so_ lucky I wasn't alive then, because I would've kicked his butt for fighting with bigger kids), so I have a pretty good idea what he was like.

"Miss," JARVIS says over the intercom. "Sir has just finished his workout and I going to the main kitchen."

TGFJ. Thank Goodness For JARVIS. "Thanks, JARVIS," I say, smiling at one of his sensors.

"Not a problem, Miss Stark."

I quickly grab the sketchbook, frame, and my pencils and scurry out of his room, praying Steve isn't too worried about the wrinkles on his bed.

What am I saying? He's military. He's gonna notice.

"JARVIS?" I ask as the elevator starts moving.

"Yes?" JARVIS asks immediately.

"If Steve notices his covers are a little rumpled, can you tell him Tony decided to take a nap?" I ask.

JARVIS doesn't answer for a moment. "I don't believe Sir would appreciate that…" JARVIS says slowly, as if considering his words. "However, if that is what you'd like…"

"Yes, please," I say instantly.

"Then that's what I'll do." JARVIS says simply.

I smile as the doors to my room open, and I skip in, heading straight for my bed.

Hopefully I can finish this picture tonight.

…

"Done," I say proudly, leaning up to observe my work. It looks pretty close to the pictures, and the sketch. I think. Hopefully.

"Felicity?" Steve's voice calls hesitantly over the intercom.

I jump before realizing he isn't actually here. "Yes?" I call, setting my pencils back in their drawer.

"I'm outside your door," he calls. "Can I come in?"

My eyes widen. Crap.

"Sure," I call, sticking the picture in the drawer. I carefully rip the sketch out and set it on top before setting the sketchbook on the end table. There, now it looks normal.

Steve steps in the room quietly, sticking his head in before smiling at me, tugging me in his arms. "Hey," he says gently, kissing my hair near my ear.

I smile, holding him a little tighter. I don't think I'll ever get used to him actually dating me.

… _Are_ we dating? I think so… I mean, he says he loves me, and we _act_ like we're together, so…

"Hey," I say back gently, leaning up to kiss his lips briefly. "What's up?"

Steve's lips quirk, slowly stepping closer and making me take mega steps back. "I heard a little rumor today," he says quietly, his grin turning a little unholy.

My legs hit the back of the bed, and Steve takes one more step, trapping me between him and the bed. "Really?" I ask, my voice wavering.

He smirks, snaking an arm around my waist and brushing hair behind my ear with his free hand. "Uh huh," he drawls, brushing my cheek with his thumb. "I heard Tony took a little nap in my room," he says, meting my eyes.

"Really?" I ask, resting a hand on his chest absently. Seriously, we're in kissing distance. This is just mean.

He leans forward and rests his forehead against mine. "But Tony told me he he's been in the workshop all day."

I tense slightly, praying he didn't notice. "Well, Tony _is_ a pretty big liar," I say nonchalantly.

"Hmm," He acknowledges, letting both hands rest against my hips as I wrap my arms around his neck. "But Ally was with him the entire time,"

I tense yet again, and Steve's gives a reassuring squeeze. "Maybe Clint did," I offer a little weakly. I'm losing my mojo.

Steve smiles gently. "Maybe," he says vaguely. "Anyway, I asked Tony to check the security footage since my picture of my parents somehow disappeared."

Crap. Crap crap crap. I knew I should've taken a picture with my phone. "Huh," I say off-handedly. Definitely should've taken a picture with my phone.

"Yep," Steve says cheerfully. "He said a certain someone walked out with both my picture and a sketchbook."

I swallow. "Gee, I wonder who…" I trail off awkwardly.

Steve smiles and places a gentle kiss to my lips. "Why'd to take the picture?"

I blush furiously, hiding my face in his strong chest. "Promise not to laugh?" I ask, my voice muffled.

Steve's arms wrap around me, keeping me cocooned in his warmth as he kisses the top of my head. "Of course," he murmurs gently.

I pull away and open my drawer, handing him his picture back.

"Thank you," he says, taking it gently. "You were telling me why you had it?"

I sigh, hanging my head. I reluctantly take my picture out of the drawer and hand it to him, refusing to look and see his face.

Steve takes it carefully, and three insanely long minutes later, he whispers, "Felicity?"

I cringe, wincing. "Yes?" I ask nervously.

"Look at me,"

I force myself to meet his eyes, and my own widen at the sight.

There are tears in Steve's eyes.

"Steve?" I ask worriedly, my mouth gaping. Um, I made the Super Soldier cry, abort mission, abort mission…

In a nanosecond he lunges, wrapping his arms around me and kissing me deeply. I sigh into the kiss, carding hands through his soft hair as his strong arms wrap around my waist. His tongue traces my bottom lip, and I open for him, losing myself in the how much I love this man.

I force myself to pull away. "You're not mad?" I whisper tentatively. Usually when I try to help people…well, Jay and my parents should explain everything, now shouldn't it?

Steve smiles, his eyes warm. "Of course not," he says softly, brushing my cheek with his thumb. "Do you know how many people have drawn my parents?"

I bite my lip hesitantly. "Hundreds?" I offer weakly.

Steve rolls his eyes, a fond smile playing along his lips. "One. Do you know who?"

I cock my head. "Peggy?" I offer weakly. I know he and Peggy were really close, maybe she was an artist too…

Steve grins. "Me. Only me. You're the first person who's done something like this."

I swallow nervously. "And is that ok?"

Steve tugs me closer and plants a loving kiss on my lips. "It's perfect," he whispers.

…

"What is it?" Tony asks, taking one look at my face.

I blink, pausing in my march to his lab. "What?" I ask a little defensively.

Tony rolls his eyes a little before turning to face me fully. "If you're mad about telling Steve, you only had that deal with JARVIS, so-"

"Huh?" I ask, confused. "No, I'm not mad about that." Technically I'm not mad at all, but…

Tony reads me perfectly. "Ally, can you go visit Tasha for a little while?" He asks.

Ally nods, hopping off of her stool. "Ok, Dad," she says cheerfully, skipping over to the elevator.

I will never understand her.

"What's going on?" Tony asks seriously.

I plop down on the stool next to him- which, ironically, has become _my_ stool. "Am I doing ok with Steve?" I ask suddenly.

Tony blinks. "Uh, what?" he asks, confused.

I take a deep breath. "Steve. Am I doing ok? I mean, I love him, and he says he loves me, but I have no idea what he really thinks."

Tony sighs, running a hand through his hair. "I can't believe I'm having this conversation," he grumbles to himself. "Ty, have you seen the guy? The man loves you."

"But what are we?" I ask, throwing hands in the air in frustration. "Are we dating? Are we together? Am I just being used again?"

Tony's head jerks up, his eyes piercing. "Again?" he asks dangerously.

I swallow nervously. "Someone played me to get with someone else. I'm not too thrilled about reliving it."

Tony wraps me in his arms, and I hug him back briefly before scooting back. I know how he is with physical contact. "Talk to him," Tony says gently, smiling as he brushes hair from my face. "This is entirely between the two of you,"

"But then I'll look stupid," I whine.

"I don't care," Tony whines back, turning back to his project. "If you're gonna be in here, hand me that screwdriver."

I roll my eyes, handing him his stupid screwdriver. "That's it? No words of encouragement?"

"If you don't talk to him, I'll send MK-49 after you,"

I stand quickly. "Good enough for me,"

Tony turns to grin at me. "Trust yourself, Ty," he says, eyes serious. "Ok?"

I nod slowly. "Ok."

The elevator doors open, and Bruce leans in the doorway. "Lux is here," he says instantly. "They won't leave without Felicity."


	17. Seventeen

_**Ok, I'm just gonna ask this since I'm a little curious…am I just throwing a bunch of things together? Because I feel like I am and I feel like I need to fix it (and I'm going to try anyway), but I'm not sure just how bad it really is. Thoughts please? And I'm so sorry I haven't updated earlier! Life's been a little hectic, but it's slowing down some, so more stories! :)**_

Seventeen

"Not that I have a problem with this," I say, staring at Natasha as she stretches on a mat. People shouldn't be able to bend that way. "But why aren't we telling Steve again?"

She looks at me calmly from her twisted position. "First of all, Steve would freak out if his girlfriend was doing something like this," I flush at the word _girlfriend_, but I don't correct her. Mostly because we haven't talked about it yet. "And secondly, you need to know how to protect yourself. No offense to him, but he can't protect you 24/7."

I nod, agreeing. "So…why do you look like a pretzel, again?"

She laughs, untangling herself. "I just like to stretch. You've already done some simple stretches, and you already know boxing, so all we really need to do is teach you some better techniques so you can protect yourself easier."

I can't control the insane smile. "Thanks, Nat,"

"Anytime," she says, smiling as she rises to her feet. "Now let's see how you fight."

…

I gasp for breath as I flip Natasha, spinning to see her land gracefully on her feet.

"Nice," Nat says, grinning as she walks over and gives me a high five. "Now you have maybe five minutes to get out of here before Steve does his training."

I laugh a little. "Same time tomorrow?"

"You better," Natasha warns, her eyes playful. "Now go. I want to review a few techniques before Steve kicks me out."

I grin and step in the elevator. "Straight to my floor, please, JARVIS. No stops."

"Yes, Miss Stark."

…

"Hey," Steve says, smiling as he sees Natasha beating the snot out of his punching bag.

Natasha stops and turns to look at him, grinning. "Hey, soldier."

Steve frowns, noticing the circles under her eyes. "How long have you been training?"

Natasha shrugs nonchalantly. "All day. You're slow, Capsicle," she says, grinning at him.

"Ha-ha. Why all day? And have you seen Felicity anywhere? I couldn't find her at all this morning." Steve says, looking a little worried.

Natasha rolls her eyes. "Steve, HYDRA didn't get in here at all. JARVIS would have told us. Especially after you and Tony started attacking him." She doesn't mention them throwing anything they could find while Tony used a gauntlet to shoot at him, but Steve's blush tells plenty. "Are you sure she wasn't with Tony?"

"I already checked, but Tony said he hadn't seen her. And JARVIS wouldn't tell us anything other than that she was in the building- not even security footage."

"Huh," Natasha says, unwrapping her hands. "That's weird. JARVIS told me she was working in the library."

"Really?" Steve asks, his eyes hopeful like an overgrown Golden Retriever. "What was she working on?"

"A sketch," she says instantly.

Steve nods, looking relieved. "I think I'll go visit her. You need to rest- and that's an order," he says, narrowing his eyes at her playfully.

She smirks and offers a fake salute. "Sure thing, soldier. Go see your girlfriend."

Much to her amusement, Steve blushed furiously as he let the elevator doors close.

"JARVIS, warn Felicity," Nat says instantly. "Slow down Steve's elevator if you have to."

"Yes, Miss Romanoff."

…

The second I dive onto the couch in the library, Steve steps into the room.

"Hey," I say, smiling as I flip to a new page and start absently sketching a landscape.

"Hey," Steve says, leaning down and wrapping arms around me, kissing my cheek. "What're you working on?"

I smile, absently starting a layout. Maybe a lake in the middle, with lots of pretty leaves… "Just thinking of things to draw. Any ideas?"

Steve plants tiny kisses up my neck, stopping right under my ear. "What about that picture you'd been drawing all morning?"

"I already finished," I say, grinning up at him playfully.

"And I don't get to see it?" He asks, looking a little dejected.

I smirk and plant a brief kiss on his lips. "No," I say, shooting him a mischievous grin.

"Rude," Steve protests, resting a chin on my shoulder with a pout.

I wink at him. "Sorry," I say, not really sorry, because he's adorable when he's pouting.

"Liar," he says, scooping me up easily, stretching his legs out and propping himself against the arm of the couch.

"Hey!" I protest as he practically forces me to cuddle with him. He made me drop both my pencil _and_ my sketchbook.

He smiles and snuggles me even closer, and I sigh wearily as I rest my face in the crook of his neck.

"You love it," he says calmly, wrapping strong arms around me as he cradles me against his chest. I peck a kiss on his jaw. "Did you know Nat was exercising all morning? And it wasn't her usual gym, either."

"Huh," I say, absently drawing shapes on his chest with my fingers. "That's weird. Did she look tired or anything?" I ask a little nervously, pulling back to look up at him.

Steve frowns. "Now that you mention it, she did look a little more tired than if she'd been working out the entire time."

Panic surges through my veins. "I gotta check on Nat," I say, trying to stand up.

Steve holds me tighter. "I told her to rest. We need to talk."

I tense a little. "I didn't do it," I blurt out instantly.

Steve frowns. "What?"

"Nothing," I say quickly. "What do you want to talk about?"

Steve sighs, shifting me so we're face to face. "Tony said we needed to have a 'conversation about emotions'," Steve says, using air quotes. "And he said you'd understand what was going on."

I squeeze my eyes shut, clenching my jaw. When I get my hands on him… "Don't worry about it," I say evasively, not meeting his eyes and trying to climb out of his trap.

He gently tugs me back, looking at me worriedly. "Ty, talk to me," he says, voice soft and vulnerable in a way he _knows_ makes my guilt-o-meter shoot up.

I sigh wearily, shutting my eyes. "I just…" I trail off, trying to find words, and he kisses my temple soothingly. "What are we?" I ask finally, meting his eyes.

He freezes nervously. "Um…we're dating…?" He trails off, looking at me questioningly.

I roll my eyes. "I know _that_," I say, unable to mask all irritation. "What am I to you?"

Recognition and understanding makes his eyes flash a lighter blue, and he tugs me a little closer so I'm partially lying on his chest, our faces inches apart as he gazes into my eyes. "I love you," he says, eyes locked on mine. "I want to be your boyfriend-" His face flushes a little at the b-word, but he presses on, "- but I didn't think you'd want to be in an actual relationship with me, so-"

"Hang on," I said, pushing off his chest and keeping the distance. "Why wouldn't I want to be in an 'actual' relationship with you?" I can't do the air quotes, but my fingers twitch slightly, letting him know my intent.

Steve's eyebrows furrow. "Well, you _are_ Tony's sister, and we haven't known each other for long-"

"So basically being Tony's sister makes me just like him?" I ask, temper rising and making my cheeks burn with anger.

"Felicity-" Steve tries, reaching for me, but I shove off of him and hop off the couch.

"I need to go," I say, scooping up my stuff and avoiding eye contact. "Talk to me when you figure out what you want to say."

"Felicity," Steve says a little desperately, turning to get up.

"Don't bother," I say, glaring straight ahead as I march into the elevator, staring at a spot above Steve's head as the doors shut. "To my floor, JARVIS. And make sure no one comes in without my permission."

JARVIS hesitates as the elevator slowly starts moving. "Shall I alert Sir of what's happened."

"I don't care," I say coldly. "Just let Pepper and Nat know."

JARVIS is quiet for a moment. "As you wish, Miss Stark," JARVIS says slowly.

_**Ooh, bad choice of words, Steve *winces* Please review!**_


	18. Eighteen

Eighteen

I gulp down my water greedily, loving that I've gotten so much better. It's been three weeks since Nat and I started training, and Nat told me she's stopped holding back.

Yep. I'm at the level of an assassin. Boom.

Natasha wipes her forehead with a towel, not breathing as heavily but looking just as exhausted. "I think you're ready to try Steve," she gasps, gulping down her water.

I glare at her, wiping the sweat with my arm. "We don't talk about Steve," I growl, giving her a death glare.

It's also been three weeks since Steve and I fought- well, _I_ fought. Whatever. He tried to talk to me the first two weeks, but when I continued to avoid him he started locking himself in the gym 24/7.

He still doesn't know about the training.

"You need to talk to him, Ty," She says, dabbing at the sweat on her neck and chest. "He feels really, really bad."

I raise an eyebrow at her. "You've talked to him?" I ask, unable to stop the curiosity.

She nods, watching me carefully. "Yeah. He doesn't really have anyone to talk to him, so I listen and try to help him."

"Huh," I say neutrally, nodding while lost in thought. "How have you helped, exactly?"

Nat smirks mischievously. "By inviting him to watch me train."

My eyes widen as the elevator doors open, and Tony steps out calmly, freezing when he sees us. "What are you two doing?" He asks instantly, already on the defensive.

Grinning, Nat slings an arm over my shoulder. "Training. It's been extremely effective."

Tony groans, resting his head back. "Great, _two_ women to make me look stupid?"

I laugh, walking over to Tony and offering a high-five. "At least one of them is required to be nice to you."

"Not true," Nat says, stretching again. "Siblings are required to be mean to each other."

"Dammit, Nat!" Tony snaps irritably.

I laugh, and Tony sends me a smile before the alarms in the building suddenly go off.

"What the heck?" I exclaim, letting Tony herd me into the elevator.

"Trouble. Need to get to the living room to find out what it is." Tony says distractedly, pressing some buttons on his phone. "There. Pepper and Ally are safe on their floor." He eyes me. "You should go too."

"Why?" I protest. "I can take care of myself. Besides, you might need the help."

"If we need help, we'll call SHIELD," Tony says irritably. "You need to go to your room and stay there."

"Can I at least go find out what's happening?" I whine, giving him my best puppy dog eyes.

Tony glances at me before sighing. "Fine. But then you go straight to your floor, got it?"

I nod once. "Got it. To my room."

Tony gives me one last warning glare before stepping into the main living room. Already the other members are suited up and standing in front of a holographic screen, where Director Fury is waiting for the last of his team.

"What is she doing here?" Fury asks coldly the second he sees me.

On cue everyone turns around and stares at me like I'm crazy.

I tilt my chin up defiantly. "I have an agreement with Tony."

Fury glances at Tony, who nods once, before sighing. "Fine. Someone managed to steal the files on the six of you, and it's critical that we get it back- it has everything from relations to medical history that would benefit the Lux," Fury's face moves to one side of the screen as a map with a blinking red dot pops up, showing the exact location as it moves. "Romanoff, the data should be on your wrist. You'll be able to follow from above with the helicarrier," A new map of the underground appears. "We have reason to believe he'll use the underground to reach one of the Lux's bases. I'll need Thor and Clint ready to catch him if he uses them and prepared to come above if it's needed. Stark, you and Rogers head after him and divert his attention."

"Yes, sir," Steve says, nodding in his Captain America voice and making shivers go down my spine. "Team, move out," He turns to look at me sternly. "You stay put."

"I want to help," I say determinedly, planting my feet and crossing my arms.

Steve plants his feet and crosses his arms too, glaring down at me with his icy gaze. "No. It's too dangerous."

"You're going," I point out.

"I'm a super soldier, and besides, I've been trained. You haven't." Steve says, eyes narrowing.

"Let her go, Steve," Nat says, clasping her uniform shut. "It's not a big deal."

"Stay out of it," Steve orders, eyes locked on mine.

"Felicity, you promised me you'd go stay in your room," Tony says sternly, glaring at me with his faceplate off.

"I said I understood. I didn't promise I wouldn't go," I say, glaring right back at Steve. "What's the big deal?"

"I don't want you to get hurt," Steve snaps. "There, are you happy now?" I flinch, but he's already turned around. "I said move out. Now."

Nat lingers, and she gives me a nod before mouthing, _You have five minutes._

…

I try not to breathe too loudly, crammed into the closet the second the others weren't looking. I owe Nat. Big time. So far no one's checked in here, but that could change at any time.

"I hear someone else breathing," Steve says suddenly. I peek through the crack in the door to see him tense, scanning the carrier as if looking for something.

I wince, biting my lip to keep from breathing too loud.

"Calm down, Steve," Tony says, standing next to him with crossed arms. "Man, what you snapping at Felicity must have seriously upset you."

Steve forces a deep breath, closing his eyes. "I saw her flinch," he says quietly.

"Just talk to her when you see her," Tony says calmly. "Use whatever you're feeling to catch this idiot."

Steve nods slowly, looking unconvinced, but he drops the subject as the door opens.

"Ready when you are, Cap," Nat calls over the wind.

Steve nods before running toward the door and jumping, almost giving me a heart attack. Tony flies out quickly, and Thor and Clint tumble out quickly before the helicarrier goes higher again.

I stumble out of the closet, breathing heavily.

"What are you doing here?" Bruce asks, eyes wide with concern.

"Helping," I say, grabbing the few items Nat's letting me use. "Ready when you are, Widow,"

She grins and tilts the carrier, letting me get a running start so I don't jar my legs. I slink through the trees and shadows silently, trying not to make a sound just like Nat taught me.

I finally stop by an alley when I see Tony and Ste- I mean, Iron Man and Captain America standing still on a surprisingly empty road. I glance farther ahead to see a man standing there unflinchingly, staring right back.

I know what to do.

I quietly disappear in the shadows, slipping behind buildings as I try to get behind the strange man. I carefully climb up the pipe before grinning to myself, low enough for no one to see me, yet close enough for me to see them.

"-out of your mind if you want me to give the information back," the man says, sneering. "Lux can use the information to destroy you once and for all."

I've been patient enough.

I leap from the roof, heading straight for the man and braced for impact.

Impact that never comes.

He spins, grabbing my arms before I can hit him, and I swing my legs up, sitting on his shoulders and using his arms to put pressure on his neck.

"Ty!" Iron Man yells, sounding a little panicked.

The man turns and slams my back into the brick wall, _hard_, making me grit my teeth through the pain. I jerk on his arms harder, and he yells as his arms pop out of their sockets. I release him and somersault, flipping him over and giving me the advantage of being on my feet.

He lunges quickly, getting his hands around my neck and choking me as he flips, holding me down. I try to pry his hands away, but I bring my knee up quickly, nailing him in a very private place.

He squeaks, his grip slacking, and I punch him in the face before knocking him off of me, shoving myself to my feet.

"Ty!" Tony says, removing his faceplate as he comes over and helps me up.

"Ow," I groan, straightening my back. "That was fun."

Steve hands the man to SHIELD agents before turning to me furiously. "I told you to stay in the tower," he snaps.

"I wanted to help," I snap back. "And I did."

"You could've been hurt," He says, his voice gentler. He rests a hand on my cheek, and I close my eyes, resting my hand over his and welcoming the touch. "I don't want to risk you getting hurt."

I open my eyes to find Steve's face close to mine, the lines of anger only easing slightly. "I'll be fine," I say quietly, squeezing his hand reassuringly. "I know how to defend myself, Steve."

He presses his lips together in a thin line, the anger not completely gone. "We'll finish this later," he says, looking beyond me. I turn to see Thor and Clint approaching us calmly, and Steve releases me to discuss whatever with them.

Tony rests a hand on my shoulder. "So you ticked off the Capsicle," he says neutrally. "And you broke direct orders. Did you upset anyone else?"

I watch Fury glower at me, obviously ticked. "Apparently everyone," I say, turning to walk home.

I guess training didn't work after all.


	19. Nineteen

_**Ok, I'm not gonna lie, I'm literally writing this while listening to Animals on repeat (if you've never heard it, it's amazing. Maroon 5 is awesome) and it seriously makes me think of Steve and Ty. Without the constant fighting (with the exception of what's going on right now) and always doing…"it" (Yes, I'm an innocent little Raven. No need to mention it. Ever.) I also think I've been letting this become more random and less... I don't know, plot-based? I'm going to try to get it back on a story line, so hopefully this doesn't turn out too bad. Let me know if it is, or if some of it is too random. I hope you guys like it! Sorry it took me so long!**_

Nineteen

"You know I don't mind you hanging out up here, but you can't avoid Steve," Pepper says, handing me a cup of hot chocolate. Now that it's December, the snow's starting to fall, coating the ground in a beautiful white dust. "Not forever, anyway."

"Who cares," I murmur, snuggling into the blanket as I stretch my legs out of the couch. "We'll just fight again, and besides, it's not like Tony ever comes up here to rat me out."

The elevator dings, and Tony steps out looking a little aggravated.

"Speak of the devil," I mutter, taking a drink.

Tony stops in front of me, crossing his arms with a scowl. "What'd you change the code to?" Tony asks irritably.

I blink up at him owlishly. "I don't know what you're talking about," I say innocently.

Tony narrows his eyes. "Steve's been trying to find you and talk to you, and apparently JARVIS' code was changed. By you."

I sigh wearily. "I'm not telling you the code," I say, staring at the cup in my hands. "Not when you're just going to tell Steve where I am,"

Tony taps my feet, and I curl them under me so he can sit down. "Why are you avoiding him?" He asks, looking at me with that weird calculating look. I've learned that he does that when he's trying to understand something. He does that a lot with me anymore.

I shrug, setting my mug on the table. "I'm not in the mood to fight with him again." I say simply.

Tony nods, stroking his goatee. "He doesn't want to fight with you either," he says quietly.

I tense a little, but I don't answer. "How pissed is Fury?" I ask, changing the subject.

Tony shoots me a little look. "He's…considering things that he won't tell me. Don't change the subject."

I sigh. "Fine. Steve may not _want_ to fight with me, but it happens anyway." I take a deep breath. "JARVIS, I'm removing the restriction. Code H3549F009,"

Tony tilts his head to the side, studying me carefully. "You know, Ally sometimes tells me stories about when you two were in the foster home. Sometimes I think I see what she does."

I go still. "That could be good or bad," I force out, standing. "I'm going to wait for Steve on my floor."

"You can't keep avoiding what happened there," Tony calls as I head towards the elevator. I turn to see Pepper standing beside him, his arm around her waist and hand resting almost protectively on her stomach. "One way or another, I'll find out."

I don't bother to answer. I just turn and walk away.

…

I didn't freak out.

When most people walk in and see the person their fighting with relaxing on their favorite armchair, watching you calmly as you freeze and stare at them, they scream, maybe throw things, whatever strikes their fancy. I only blinked and darted into the bathroom, locking the door and trying not to scream in a panic. Maybe that sounds crazy, but no one has access to my room if I'm not in there. No one.

Totally not freaking out.

I hear gentle knocks on the door. "Ty, are you ok?" Steve calls, no sign of the angry soldier from a few days ago. I did give him those three days to calm down, even if it was just me having a sleepover with Ally and a barely-showing Pepper, but I'm still expecting a rage worthy of the Hulk.

I swallow. "How'd you get in here?" I ask, cursing the slight tremors in my voice.

"Nat let me in," He jiggles the knob. "Can you come out? Please?"

Oh no, don't ask me things like that sounding entirely innocent and concerned. Not when I know you're upset with me. "No," I say firmly, getting myself calm.

The knob jiggles again. "I _really_ don't feel like breaking another lock on the door, but I will if I have to. Come out."

Nope, not focusing on the chills that just went down my spine as he said that. No way. "No," I say again, sounding a little smug. I'm sure Tony reinforced them with whatever stuff's in Steve's shield. I forgot the name, but I know he mentioned it.

In one quick motion, the knob jerks, and I hear the lock snap from within the door.

Or not.

Steve cautiously opens the door, poking his head in and staring at me emotionlessly.

I swallow a little. "Hot chocolate?" I offer weakly, ignoring that I just squeaked a little bit. I was trained by Black Widow herself. I am not afraid of a super soldier.

Steve nods, holding the door slightly wider but not making a move to leave.

Alrighty then.

Awkwardly I try to squeeze between Steve's body and the door, ducking under his arm and trying to ignore how he smells, on the warmth radiating from him wherever we touch.

But I didn't miss him.

I force myself not to turn around, even as I sense him lean against the counter behind me. I slowly wait for the hot water, and I keep myself from turning around.

"Felicity,"

His Cap voice jars me from my thoughts, and I jump slightly, forgetting how deep his voice can be when he wants it to. And how I always shivered when he said my name in said voice.

Focus.

I go completely still, pretending I didn't shiver. "Yes?" I ask, trying not to sound too affected.

I feel him stop right behind me, and I swallow thickly, trying to calm myself down. Not affected. Not affected at all. "Look at me," he says quietly, his voice low.

I set the chocolate syrup down on the table, try to ignore how my hand's trembling. "Why?" I ask quietly.

He gently takes my elbow and turns me around, forcing me to meet his eyes. "We still need to talk."

I bite my lip and nod, hanging my head to keep myself from staring at him. "I know,"

"What you did was stupid," he says, slight anger and irritation in his voice. "You could have been seriously hurt. They would have killed you without a second thought. You may have learned how to fight, but it's too dangerous for you to follow us because you're bored and don't want to be left out."

My head jerk up, and anger makes my cheeks heat. "You do dangerous things all the time! And you're not my leader, you're theirs. I'm allowed to do what I want."

"That doesn't matter," Steve snaps. "You could get hurt. You could get others hurt. What am I supposed to do, sit there and watch you get hurt?"

"I'm not your responsibility," I snap.

"Yes, you are," he shoots back. "The second you snuck on the helicarrier, you became my responsibility again."

"Why?" I snap. "You don't think I want to be with you. Why should you care what happens to me? You just-" Steve ducks his head, and then his lips are on mine.

_**Crappy chapter, I know, but I'll work on it! Suggestions are welcome!**_


	20. Twenty

_**Has anyone seen the Insurgent trailer? I'm torn between wondering where the box came from and wanting to know what's in it :3 I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!**_

Twenty

I honestly have no idea what happened. One second we're pretty much yelling at each other, the next Steve grabs my face in his hands and starts kissing.

I kind of just go completely still, like a lame person, and when Steve traces my lower lip with his tongue, asking for permission, I snap out of it.

Probably not the _right_ out of it, but out of it.

I move forward, wrapping my arms around his neck and welcoming him in. My hands tangle in his silky hair as his hands rest on my hips and pull me closer. This isn't what we used to do; this is more wild and desperate, as if we'll die if we separate, and I have to admit I missed him. Not just kisses, though those are pretty amazing, but just _him_, his warmth and his care, especially when he loosens his grip so he doesn't hurt me.

I force myself to pull back, but even with the light grip, I can't escape his arms, so I rest a hand on his chest to keep him back. "I thought you were mad at me," I say a little breathlessly.

Steve rests his forehead against mine. "I am,"

I frown, pulling back. "Then why'd you kiss me?" Then I remember I'm still in his arms, and I push against his chest, trying to break free. "Even better, why are you still holding me?"

Steve's arms tighten as he looks in my eyes, determination making the color a little darker. "Stay still, Felicity."

I shiver a little, and I seriously hope that stops at some point, but I glare up at him. "Stop messing with my head, Capsicle."

A muscle in his jaw jumps as he glares back at me. "I meant what I said, Ty. I don't like you running off. You could get hurt, and-" He cuts himself off with a sigh, and his hand rises to brush my cheek tenderly. "I couldn't live with myself if I let you get hurt," He finishes quietly, his eyes losing their fire as he stare at each other.

All of the fight leaves me. "I know," I say quietly, letting my fingers trace his jaw. "But I can't just do nothing, Steve. It's in my nature." Just like Tony.

Ew, when did I become just like Tony?

Steve closes his eyes and lets out a shaky breath before opening them again, the color lighter. "Promise me you'll be careful if you come with us," he says quietly, his eyes pleading.

I smile- a genuine one, not one of the fakes I've been pulling for weeks. "Of course," I whispers, brushing the golden strands off of his face.

Steve nods and shuts his eyes briefly before opening them again, his eyes a strange mix of playful and serious. "Good," he growls, tugging me a little closer- as if there's much room. Which there isn't. "Now, I believe we have more to talk about."

I blink before it clicks. "Depends, do you still think I'm my brother?" I ask, crossing my arms between us. Easier said than done, in case anyone's curious.

Steve's eyes darken a little, and the next second I'm scooped up in his arms, forcing me to cling to the front of his shirt. "Hey!" I protest, glaring up at him.

"Sorry," he says, not sounding sorry as he heads toward my couch. "I'm not letting you run away from me again."

Well if _that_ didn't send some serious shivers down my spine, I don't know what will. "I won't run."

Steve snorts, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, you will." I shoot him a look, but he drops down on the couch with me still in his arms. "I want you to be my girlfriend, Felicity."

I go still, my heart doing a stupid little happy dance. "You don't have to force yourself, you know," I say, forcing a monotone.

Apparently the sadness still came through, because Steve's arms tighten around me, turning to cushion me against his chest. "I'm not." I scoff, and he frowns, turning me so I meet his eyes. "I'm serious, Ty."

"So am I," I say, crossing my arms like a shield.

Steve takes a deep breath before speaking again. "I messed up. I shouldn't have compared you to Tony, at least not like that. I'm sorry."

I frown. "What do you mean not like that?"

He smiles slightly. "You're both strong-willed. And you both want to do what's right."

I shrug nonchalantly. "I guess…"

Steve smiles softly, tugging me back towards him. "Do you forgive me?" He asks quietly, kissing that spot under my ear.

I smile, squirming away from him and facing him instead. "Ok," I give in, leaning forward and resting my face in the crook of his neck.

He wraps his arms around me, rubbing my back soothingly. "I missed you," He says quietly in my ear, nuzzling around my neck. Which is kind of cute.

"I missed you too," I whisper back, wiggling closer.

"On another note," Steve starts, leaning back to kiss my forehead. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

Uh… "Practice?" I offer, putting on my best innocent smile.

"Uh huh," He says unconvincingly. "JARVIS, who's she been training with?"

"JARVIS, mute!" I call out quickly.

We stare at each other for a while, neither of us moving and waiting for the other to look away first. Finally I look at my lap, and Steve gently tilts my chin up.

"Please?" He asks quietly. "I promise not to get upset,"

I take a deep breath. "Fine. Nat taught me."

Steve smiles. "She did a good job. You were pretty impressive,"

I blink at him. "Huh?" I ask stupidly.

His lips twitch, and he pecks my nose. "You did good," he says, looking at me lightly.

I look at him dubiously. "I thought you said it was too risky?" I ask suspiciously.

Steve laughs a little. "It was. But you still did a good job. He still ended up in custody."

I sigh and turn back, resting back against his chest and stretching my legs so I can feel them. Steve's strong arms wrao around me, toying with my fingers, and I smile a little.

Maybe this wasn't too bad.

"I hate to break it up," Tony says over the intercom, "But we've got a problem."

I tense. "The Lux?" I ask, preparing to fight. Steve rubs my hand with his thumb soothingly, and I calm down a little.

"Not the Lux," Tony says, and suddenly my blood goes cold. "Your foster mother."

_**Oh boy, here we go ;) Please review!**_


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